Children of the harvest
by Angel Cauldwell
Summary: It has been over a year and half since Steve woke up from his sleep. It had been sixty seven years since Emily had become the princess of the underworld as well as heir. They had become part of a team, the avengers, and fought in two battles with them. Not only that but they also got married, but a new, yet old and powerful, enemy is stirring threaten their new lives.
1. Chapter 1

The next few months, life had went on as normal for a demigod could get. It wasn't till November 1st that the unexpected had happen, of which was Zeus closed down Olympus. Not only that but Dionysus was recalled back to Olympus, it was weird for it was clear something was going on. Everyone could tell something was very wrong, Emily had no idea of what was wrong or at least not totally. But she had a few guesses of what was happening, one that Zeus was being annoying and stupid. However he seemed stupid and annoying most of the time, there times when he wasn't though. But she would never say that to his face, but that reason was unlikely. For there other things she had noticed, for starters, she could feel the earth stirring under her. It scared and worried her, her other half siblings noticed it, even Steve noticed it and he didn't know how to use his powers.

A couple of days after the closing of Olympus that Emily had decided on something, that she needed to talk to Hades. Out of all the gods that there was a good chance that she would be able to talk to Hades, for the underworld couldn't run without the Lord of the dead being present. She wasn't sure of what was happening but something awful was coming, that much was clear. Emily had a feeling hat history was going to repeat itself, she wasn't sure which part of history would be repeated but something was to be repeated. There was some guesses do what history it was but Emily hoped beyond hope it wasn't so. For it meant two things for sure, it could mean the end of the world and the prophecy of the eight was going to come to pass. As Emily put her green bracelet with the three leaves that a voice behind her had spoke and she had turned as the voice and spoke.

"Where are you going?" It was Tony standing there. Emily bit her lip, Tony knows that she was a demigod, everyone else knew as well, they also know that Steve was one too. The other avengers had found it funny that one of the powers that a child of Demeter was too cook and Steve had never cooked before or at least not well compared to how a child of Demeter should cook. However only Lauren, Bucky and Steve knew about Emily being a daughter of Hades and champion of Hestia. After a minute that Emily had figured out what to tell Tony.

"I am going to the underworld."

"You mean Hades?" Emily had nodded when Tony had said that. "But why?"

"I needed to talk to him and he is about the only one that I can mostly likely talk to." Tony walked forward and spoke softly.

"He would kill you, with the feud between him and your mother."

"I will be fine."

"How can you been so sure on this that he won't kill you!" Emily was thane back a little bit by this, Emily knows that Tony did care of what happened to all of the avengers. But she had never seen him so serious as he was now expect for when he was working on his suits.

"I am sure because there is something I never told any of the other avengers other than Steve. We can count Arabella since all of the avengers think of her as an avenger in a way, but that is besides the point. The point is that Hades had adopted me and made me princess of the underworld and heir to the underworld. He never hates me for being a daughter of Demeter, if he did he would have hated Persephone as well. Besides that is the source of their feud." Tony looked surprised when Emily had said that and he looked at her carefully, Emily raised an eyebrow and than he spoke.

"I thought if one gets adopted by a god that you gain their traits, like hair color or something, from the god as well as their powers."

"I did get traits from him as well as the powers. You had saw me use them before."

"When?"

"During both battles of Manhattan. I was using the shadows and darkness. I had used hellfire as well as fire in both battles. I also gained a second appearance from Hades as well but the only ones who saw me in the other appearance, that are at the tower, are Steve, Bucky and Lauren. Now if you don't mind."

Before Tony could say anything that Emily had into a shadow and disappeared and reappeared just inside the gates. As soon as she was in the garden that she knew something was wrong, some dreadfully wrong. She couldn't quite place it, it might be because Persephone wasn't down here, but that only shouldn't have brought that dreadfully feeling that things were our of control. Emily walked into the palace and to the throne room, when she entered that she saw Hades with a map of the underworld on the floor. Of which was odd since he never does that unless if he really had to, the only other time she saw that happen was when the sword of Hades was taken. Emily had stood by when that happen just in case if the three couldn't do or finish the quest. Emily walked over to where Hades and the map were and she grasp when she looked down at it.

For she could the different sprits of the underworld, some were rebelling while others were walking out of different doors. It seems like the furies were having a hard time controlling the rebellion in the field of punishments. She noticed that a few of them had managed to get out and though one of the many open doors. Emily was confused, why wasn't Thanatos helping with the spirits, keeping the doors closed and to make sure the doors remained closed. She couldn't see Thanatos anywhere on the map or anything to tell her that he was patrol between the two worlds, living and died. She knew Thanatos was important like she was important to help run the underworld and make sure the spirits get to where they need to, along with a lot more. When Emily had grasp that hades had looked up at her, he looked a couple of decades older than he usually does of which scared and worried her. But he looked happy to see, he always does, but it seemed like he was even more happier to see her an usual.

"Emily, I am glad to see you are here."

"Hades, what had been happening?" He sighed when Emily had said that.

"The dead is going out of the control."

"How is that possible with Thanatos on patrol and the furies."

"Thanatos has been captured and chained."

"What about his doors?"

"I am not sure of where they are at the moment but Thanatos doesn't have any control over the doors any more, not since his capture." Emily bit her lip when Hades had said that. If the doors were not controlled by Thanatos than who was using the doors than, not only that but what about Nico or Arabella.

"Does Arabella or Nico know about this?"

"I haven't been able to talk to Arabella about this but Nico is aware of it. He is doing patrol right now, but it is still not enough."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Help Nico or the furies." Emily started to walk out but stopped and turned to face Hades once more.

"Hades." Hades looked back up at her. "Why was Olympus closed?"

"Because your uncle is an idiot."

"I know at, so does Lauren and he is her father. But why did he close it?"

"The earth is waking." Emily closed her eyes, that explained a lot to Emily. Of why she could feel the earth moving more than it should and why at times it seems the earth tries to grab her but was unable to do so since she was the daughter of Demeter and Hades. Emily opened her eyes and looked at her adopted father.

"Are you sure on that?"

"Yes. I believe she had gained control of the doors somehow." Emily wondered where the door was now and who might be going though it.

"How did she do that?"

"I am not sure but she is using them and she is also making other entrances. You better get going." Emily had quickly left the palace and started helping a Hades with doing her best to make sure no spirits left the underworld and closed any gaps. It was harder than it seems, it was difficult of trying to fill in a gap or send the spirits back. For the next month or so that was pretty much all Emily did as well as Nico, she was unable to even visit the avenger tower. Emily was sure that the others were getting worried about her, she couldn't blame them either. During that time that Hades had told Arabella of what was happening but told her to stay at Hogwarts. After a really long day that Emily and Nico had managed to dragged themselves to the palace. Just as they entered the gardens that Nico spoke.

"You know, if I hadn't spend much of my time down here in the last couple of years, I would wondered if this was normal for the underworld."

"Thankfully this isn't normal. What is going on now makes the underworld look like the country."

"That I am glad of."

"So am I." Just as they reached the doors that the doors opened and Hades had come out, he looked a little younger but not by much though.

"You two have been busy."

"Yeah, I wasn't even sure I could walk this far."

"I know I could but the question was would be able to get the bedroom." Hades smiled when Emily said that.

"Nico, you may as well go get some rest while I try to fill more of the gaps." Nico had shuffled inside the palace before Hades looked over at Emily. "You may as well go back to the avenger tower." Emily nodded and at a shadow, she disappeared and appeared on the ground level of the avenger tower. As she walked to the elevator that J.A.R.V.I.S. had spoke up.

"Good evening, Miss Barnes." Even after seven months of marriage that it sounded weird to hear Mrs. Barnes or Miss Barnes by J.A.R.V.I.S. "Shall I tell the others you are back."

"Please do, J.A.R.V.I.S. Also bring the elevator down and have it go to the level of where the others are." As Emily said that, the elevator doors opened and Emily went inside. The doors closed her and the elevator went up to the main floor and the doors open, she stepped out of the elevator. As soon as she did that Bucky came running over to her and hugged her tightly, Emily hugged him back and put her head on his shoulder. Emily closed her eyes as she leaned against Bucky, after a couple of minutes like hat, that Bucky had spoke.

"Where have you been?"

"The underworld to talk to Hades, but he needed some help though."

"I thought you only do that during the summer?"

"Usually yes, for Persephone is not usually there but Thanatos wasn't there."

"Hang on." Emily lifted her head and opened her eyes before she had looked at Thor. "You mean Thanos?"

"No, I mean Thanatos. He is the god of peaceful death and Hades's lieutenant. Thanatos had been captured and the underworld is chaotic right now." Emily could tell Thor was about ready to say something but Bucky had beat Thor to that.

"If you want to know more haut ask her tomorrow." Bucky than picked Emily up bridal style, normally Emily would complain that she can walk but she was tired from the long day and somewhat hungry. She also likes being close to Bucky, he carried to the elevator and it went down to the level that was design for Emily. There was also some added things for Bucky on hat level since he was her husband now, it was the same for Lauren and Steve. Bucky placed her on the bed before climbing next to her and wrapping his arms around her while she kept her head up next to his neck and have her arms around his neck. "Good night, Emily."

"Good night Bucky."


	2. Chapter 2

For the next couple of weeks that Emily and Lauren went back and forth between camp Halfblood and the avenger tower. Emily thought of going to camp Jupiter but she didn't dare, for one thing she knows that the roman gods don't pay much attention to their children. For another thing, the Romans wouldn't believe the fact that Olympus was closed just because Zeus was being an idiot. That was also one thing she wouldn't say to the Romans, that Zeus, or Jupiter in their case, was being stupid. Emily could handle herself against the Romans since she just go into Greek mode and fight her though them. The legion and the Greek fighting styles were different, for the most part one can use Greek style to fight the legion along with their powers. But there are a few Romans who would match her Greek style, that Emily was sure of even if she never tried it with a roman. During their trips to camp Halfblood that Bucky and Steve didn't go with them, that was partly because of the fact that they didn't spend too much time at camp.

Compare their whole time they stayed about a week, including the time of when she was drifting in and out form overusing her powers. That was something that only happen one other time, however that was only because she knocked out not overusing her powers per say. Even if the tow of them did come that they have to use the big house instead of the cabins. One morning when they entered the camp that Emily had noticed the flying chariot above camp and it was heading for the lake. Emily and Lauren had ran over to the lake, as they reached the lake that the naiads in the lake had tossed the chariot and the five campers from the water. Emily knew three of the five, one was Annabeth, a daughter of Athena, and one was Butch, a son of Iris. The one girl that had Indian blood in her and changing eyes and the elf like boy were the two that Emily didn't know. However the third one that was there surprised Emily for this was the last place she expected to see. For standing there was Jason Grace. Before Emily could say or do anything that she heard Will, a son of Apollo, talking and moved his way though the crowd.

"Annabeth, I said you could borrow the chariot, not destroy it!"

"Will, I'm sorry. I'll get it fixed, I promise." Emily didn't say anything as she watched Will scowled at the broken chariot before he sized up Jason and the other two demigods.

"These are the ones? Way older than thirteen. Why haven't they been claimed already?"

"Claimed?" Leo asked.

"Any sign of Percy?"

"No."

Emily sighed when Annabeth had said that. Emily learned about Percy the day it happened, Emily had a bad feeling something happened to him and seeing Jason here made her believe she knows of where Percy was. Than a girl had stepped forward, Emily groaned when she saw who it was, it was Drew a daughter of Aphrodite. Emily didn't hate the goddess of love, it was just that at times Aphrodite can be annoying and her children can be a huge pain at times. The male Aphrodite campers and Silena were the ones that Emily had got along the best with. Silena was rather smart nested to her half sisters, she wasn't Athena smart but Emily could talk to her without her going off on boys and love every minute or ever second. Yes, Silena had been excited when she figured she was dating Bucky and that he had asked Emily's to marry him. Honestly, Emily wished she hadn't died for Drew wouldn't have become the head counselor for the Aphrodite cabin.

She remembered shortly after Steve and Lauren got married that Emily, Bucky, Steve and Lauren had come here for a couple of days and Drew flirted with both of them. More than once Drew had got a black eye from Emily and Lauren, it wasn't till Emily had used the strawberry vines that Drew had stopped hitting on Steve and Bucky. Lauren and Emily could tell that both Bucky and Steve were annoyed with Drew, but neither one dared attacked a girl of which was haut fine with Lauren and Emily. For they both gladly took care of that problem.

"Well, I hope they're worth the trouble." The elf boy snorted when Drew said that, Emily smiled when he did that.

"Gee, thanks. What are we, your new pets?"

"No kidding. How about some answers before you start judging us—like, what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?"

"Jason, I promise we'll answer your questions. And Drew, all demigods are worth saving. But I'll admit, the trip didn't accomplish what I hoped."

"Hey, we didn't ask to be brought here." Drew sniffed when the girl had said that.

"And nobody wants you, hon. Does your hair always look like a dead badger?" The girl took a step forward, it looked like she was going to smack her but Annabeth spoke.

"Piper, stop." Piper, apparently was the girl's name, did what Annabeth said.

"We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome. We'll assign them each a guide, give them a tour of camp. Hopefully by the campfire tonight, they'll be claimed."

"Would somebody tell me what claimed means?" Suddenly there was gasps, Emily looked up to see a blazing holographic image over the one boy's head and it was a fiery hammer. Emily and Lauren remained where they were while everyone backed away, Emily was surprised to see that symbol over the boy's head.

"That is claiming."

"What'd I do?" The boy backed towards the lake. Then he glanced up and yelped. "Is my hair on fire?" The boy ducked, but the symbol followed him, Emily and Lauren were close of laughing as the boy tried to get rid of the symbol.

"This can't be good. The curse—"

"Butch, shut up. Leo, you've just been claimed—"

"By a god. That's the symbol of Vulcan, isn't it?" Everyone looked at Jason when he said that, Emily smiled and shook her head. She wasn't surprised that Jason used the roman name.

"Jason, how did you know that?"

"I'm not sure." When Jason said that, that Emily raised an eyebrow, Jason had noticed of what Emily did because he looked confused when he looked at her. Emily had used her hope and touched his mind and it took all of her will power not cry out in surprise. When she touched his mind that she only felt blankness but yet she felt the connection he she to Camp Jupiter and New Rome. Emily had pulled away as Leo spoke.

"Vulcan? I don't even LIKE Star Trek. What are you talking about?"

"Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths and fire." The fiery hammer faded, but Leo, apparently that was his name, kept swatting the air like he was afraid it was following him.

"The god of what? Who?" Annabeth had turned to Will.

"Will, would you take Leo, give him a tour? Introduce him to his bunk-mates in Cabin Nine."

"Sure, Annabeth."

"What's Cabin Nine? And I'm not a Vulcan!"

"Come on, Mr. Spock, I'll explain everything." Will had put a hand on Leo's shoulder and steered him off to the cabins, Emily and Lauren walked forward as Annabeth turned back to Jason.

"Hold out your arm." Jason had held out his arm, his windbreaker was off after the dip in the lake. Emily could hear a small gasp from Lauren when she saw the tattoo on the inside of his right forearm. It was darkly etched and hard to miss, there was a dozen straight lines like a bar code, over that was an eagle with the letters SPQR. Emily knew what that tattoo was but Emily held her tongue back as Annabeth looked at it, "I've never seen marks like this. Where did you get them?" Jason shook his head before he spoke.

"I'm getting really tired of saying this, but I don't know." The other chapters pushed forward, all of them were trying to get a look at Jason's tattoo. Emily could tell that the marks bother the campers, Emily couldn't blame them really.

"They look burned into your skin."

"They were." Jason winced as if his head was aching. "I mean … I think so. I don't remember." No one said anything, Emily was sure that Lauren was unsure of what to say or do, besides it was Percy and Annabeth that were more of the leaders of the camp not Emily and Lauren like it had been sixty seven almost sixty eight years ago.

"He needs to go straight to Chiron, Drew, would you—"

"Absolutely. This way, sweetie. I'll introduce you to our director. He's … an interesting guy." Emily rolled her eyes as Drew flashed Piper a smug look and started walking with Jason toward the big blue house on the hill. Before Drew could go to far down the trail to the house that Emily had spoke up.

"Annabeth, I think it would be better if I take Jason to the house." All the campers looked surprised, not only at but Piper looked happy when Emily had said that.

"Emily, you heard what ..." Drew was throw back by the shadows and she fell into the grass causing her clothes to look less glamorous.

"Do you want a repeat of what happened a few months ago?" Emily looked over at Annabeth who had a small smile on her face before Emily looked back at Drew. "Don't you even say that Annabeth would stop me form doing it to. For you know she won't stop me. So beat it unless if you want me to make sure your worst nightmares come true." Drew gave her a death glare, Emily gave her an even better death glare and Drew shrunk under it before getting to her feet and went to the cabins. Emily nodded to Lauren and mouthed to go back to the avenger tower, Lauren nodded and went to the hill. Emily had walked over to Jason and put her hands on his shoulder and walked him to the house, as Emily did that the crowd began to disperse. For a few minute neither one of them said anything but Jason spoke up first as they made their way to the house.

"Who are you?"

"Emily Barnes, daughter of Demeter." Jason had stopped when Emily said that.

"That name, it sounds familiar."

"Emily is a rather common name and I am sure Barnes is common enough that I am not the only one with the name." Just as Emily said that, that Emily and Jason reached the big house. Emily had only said that mainly because she knows his memories were, of why that was, was beyond her.

"Here we are! The Big House, camp headquarters." Emily could only began to thinks of what was going on inside his head at the moment, she was sure that Jason felt like he was not suppose to be here and in truth he wasn't suppose to be here. Than Jason spoke

"I am not supposed to be here." Emily sighed when Jason said that, she squeaked his shoulders in a motherly fashion and she could tell it relaxed him some.

"Don't worry or be scared, Jason. I am here." Jason looked back at her, as he did so that he looked into her eyes and she could tell Jason started to relax as Emily poured the feeling of home into him and that he was not the only one out that was feeling the same way.

"Thanks."

"No problem, Jason." Jason was about ready to say something but than he heard the hooves and turned to look at the front porch. As Chiron rounding the corner of the porch that Emily had called out to him

"Chiron! This is Jason."Jason backed up so fast that he was close of tripping, if he had been any faster or Emily wasn't behind than he would have fell. It was clear that Jason didn't expect to see Chiron, Chiron was wearing his World's best Centaur on and he had a quiver and bow strapped to his back. When Chiron looked at Jason that he started to smile but than the color drained from his face like Emily expected it would be. Chiron had than looked at Emily with a look that said, don't tell me of who I think he is, Emily merely nodded. Chiron had than looked back at Jason. Emily could see his eyes flared up like a cornered animal.

"You … You should be dead." Than Chiron ordered Jason to go inside the house, usually Chiron invited the campers in but considering that Jason was a roman without memories, Emily couldn't blame him. Emily followed Jason up since Chiron had ordered her to go inside as well, Emily figured of why that was. Chiron knows that she was aware of the other camp and that she was the ambassador of Pluto till hades decided to let Nico be the ambassador of Pluto. So Emily had become the Ambassador of Vesta, they wanted to reform the Vestal Virgins and have Emily as the leader. By that point, Emily was married to Bucky and was no longer a virgin and she told them that can't happen and told them that she expected one of her siblings to take the mantle of ambassador from her one day. That if happened that she would become the ambassador of Vesta, of which they were fine with.

Chiron had trotted over to the empty wheelchair on the porch and he slipped his quiver and bow. He than backed into the chair of which opened up like normal, Chiron gingerly stepped into it with his back legs. Emily was still unsure of that when chair works but she always thought of the beeping of a truck when she watched in back into the wheelchair. A few times when it was just her and Chiron talking and he backs up into the chair that Emily had made the wound. When his lower half disappeared that the chair folded up, popping out a set of fake legs covered in a blanket. So that Chiron looked a normal guy in a wheelchair and no one would take notice of him expect to notice he was in a wheelchair.

"Follow me. We have lemonade." As they entered the living room that Emily shook her head, Emily had been in here since Dionysus had left. She had no idea of why he decided to leave this place like he did, for the living room looked like it was swallowed by a rain forest. Grapevines curved up the walls and across the ceiling, of which was like the Demeter cabin but they didn't have grape vines nor was it on the roof. It was strawberry vines. There was leather couches facing a stone fireplace with a crackling fire and in one corner was an old style PAC-MAN arcade game. There was an assortment of masks around the room, some were from Greek theater, others were mardi grass masks and many more. Some of the grapevines grew through the mouths of the masks and a couple had grapes for eyeballs. Above the fireplace was a leopard's head that was named Seymour, Seymour had snarled at Jason. Jason had jumped when Seymour had did that.

"Now, Seymour, Jason is a friend. Behave yourself."

"That thing is alive!" Emily leaned to Jason before she spoke.

"Seymour does that with everyone when they first enter this house. It go annoying in the first days when he was here. But he only snarls when there is a new camper that enters the house." As Emily spoke that Chiron had been rummaged though the side pocket of his wheelchair and brought out a package of sausages and threw one to the leopard of who snapped it up and licked his lips.

"You must excuse the décor. All this was a parting gift from our old director before he was recalled to Mount Olympus. He thought it would help us to remember him. Mr. D has a strange sense of humor."

"Mr. D, Dionysus?"

"Mmm hmm." Chiron poured lemonade, Emily had notice that his hands were trembling a little. "As for Seymour, well, Mr. D liberated him from a Long Island garage sale. The leopard is Mr. D's sacred animal, you see, and Mr. D was appalled that someone would stuff such a noble creature. He decided to grant it life, on the assumption that life as a mounted head was better than no life at all. I must say it's a kinder fate than Seymour's previous owner got." Seymour bared his ranges before sniffing the air as if he was hunting for more sausages.

"If he's only a head, where does the food go when he eats?"

"Better not to ask. Please, sit." Emily had took the lemonade, Emily was nervous, scared and worried of how this would turn out. Chiron sat back in his wheelchair and tried for a smile but failed, for it was clear that it was forces. The warmth, love and concern were not present at the moment, instead, his eyes looked deep and dark as wells.

"So, Jason, would you mind telling me—ah—where you're from?"

"I wish I knew." Jason told Chiron the whole story or what Jason could tell him. The only thing Chiron did was nod, when Jason finished that he sipped his lemonade.

"I see. And you must have questions for me."

"Only one. What did you mean when you said that I should be dead?" It seem that the old Chiron was coming back a little bit, for Chiron studied him with concern as if he expected Jason to burst into flames. However he already saw Emily do that and she was sure he didn't want to see that happen again. Chiron looked at Emily before looking back at Jason.

"My boy, do you know what those marks on your arm mean? The color of your shirt? Do you remember anything?" Jason had looked at the tattoo on his forearm.

"No. Nothing."

"Do you know where you are? Do you understand what this place is, and who I am?"

"You're Chiron the centaur, I'm guessing you're the same one from the old stories, who used to train the Greek heroes like Heracles. This is a camp for demigods, children of the Olympian gods."

"So you believe those gods still exist?"

"Yes, I mean, I don't think we should worship them or sacrifice chickens to them or anything, but they're still around because they're a powerful part of civilization. They move from country to country as the center of power shifts—like they moved from Ancient Greece to Rome." Than Chiron spoke but this time he spoke in Latin.

"I couldn't have said it better. So you already know the gods are real. You have already been claimed, haven't you?"

"Maybe, I'm not really sure." Seymour snarled when Jason had spoke in Latin, it seemed at that moment that Jason seem to realized what had happen.

"Quis erat—" Emily smiled lightly as Jason faltered and made an effort to speak in English. "What was that?"

"You know Latin. Most demigods recognize a few phrases, of course. It's in their blood, but not as much as Ancient Greek. None can speak Latin fluently without practice." It seem that Chiron was relaxing some for Chiron was starting to act more like himself than he had been when he first saw Jason. "I taught your namesake, you know, the original Jason. He had a hard path. I've seen many heroes come and go. Occasionally, they have happy endings. Mostly, they don't. It breaks my heart, like losing a child each time one of my pupils dies. But you—you are not like any pupil I've ever taught. Your presence here could be a disaster."

"Thanks, You must be an inspiring teacher."

"Jason." He looked over at Emily when she said that. "He is right, that you are different and you being here could be disastrous."

"I am sorry, my boy. But it's true. I had hoped that after Percy's success—"

"Percy Jackson, you mean. Annabeth's boyfriend, the one who's missing."

"I hoped that after he succeeded in the Titan War and saved Mount Olympus, we might have some peace. I might be able to enjoy one final triumph, a happy ending, and perhaps retire quietly. I should have known better. The last chapter approaches, just as it did before. The worst is yet to come."

"Ohh-kay. So—last chapter, happened before, worst yet to come. Sounds fun, but can we go back to the part where I'm supposed to be dead? I don't like that part."

"I'm afraid I can't explain, my boy. I swore on the River Styx and on all things sacred that I would never … But you're here, in violation of the same oath. That too, should not be possible. I don't understand. Who would've done such a thing? Who—"

Seymour started to howl but his mouth froze half open, the arcade game stopped beeping. The fire had stopped crackling and it's flames hardening like red glass. Emily had looked around and got up from the couch, it seemed like everything was frozen expect for herself and Jason,

"Chiron? What's going—" It seems Jason expected Chiron not to be frozen as well. But Chiron was frozen as well and Jason had jumped off the couch. Jason looked at Emily. "Emily, what's going on?"

"I wish I knew." Before Jason could say anything that a voice had spoke.

'Jason.' Emily backed away as dark mist boiled out of Seymour's mouth. Jason had pulled out the golden coin and filled it so it changed into a sword. Emily had grasp the poppy and it changed into her sword, the same she got from her mother when she was claimed. The mist took the form of a woman in black robes, her face was hooded but her eyes glowed in the darkness. Over her shoulders she wore a goatskin cloak, Emily knew who it was, it was Hera, but in this case it was really Juno. 'Would you attack your patron? Lower your sword.'

"Who are you? How did you—"

'Our time is limited, Jason. My prison grows stronger by the hour. It took me a full month to gather enough energy to work even the smallest magic through its bonds. I've managed to bring you here, but now I have little time left, and even less power. This may be the last time I can speak to you.' Jason didn't bother to lower his sword, neither did Emily but Juno hadn't address Emily.

"You're in prison? Look, I don't know you, and you're not my patron."

'You know me, I have known you since your birth.'

"I don't remember. I don't remember anything."

'No, you don't. That also was necessary. Long ago, your father gave me your life as a gift to placate my anger. He named you Jason, after my favorite mortal. You belong to me.'

"Whoa, I don't belong to anyone."

'Now is the time to pay your debt, Find my prison. Free me, or their king will rise from the earth, and I will be destroyed. You will never retrieve your memory.'

"Is that a threat? You took my memories?"

'You have until sunset on the solstice, Jason. Four short days. Do not fail me.' Than Juno turned to Emily. 'Emily Barnes, you have an important role to play.'

"In the prophecy of the eight, right?" Juno nodded when Emily said that. "I am not one of the eight, I know that much."

'Very true, Emily. But you meet all of eight but one.'

"Point being?"

'You are the hope that helps in their quest, you need to help them and protect them like you always had with all demigods. You are among the four that help and protect the eight as much as you can. But once all eight are together that you and the other three must help them, but his would still be some time away.' Emily was about ready to say something but Juno dissolved and the mist curled into Seymour's mouth. Than everything had unfroze.

"—would dare to bring you here?"

"Probably the lady in the mist." Chiron looked up at Jason and Emily in surprise.

"Weren't you just sitting … why do you have a sword drawn?"

"I hate to tell you this, but I think your leopard just ate a goddess." Jason and Emily told him about Juno, Emily had brought up that that it was Hera and what she told him while Jason said everything else.

"Oh, dear. That does explain a lot."

"Then why don't you explain a lot to me? Please." Before Chiron could say anything that footsteps reverberated and the front door opened. Annabeth and Rachel burst in dragging Piper between them and Piper was unconscious.

"What happened? What's wrong with her?"

"Hera's cabin. Vision. Bad."

"I think …I think I may have killed her."

After they managed to settle down that Jason had helped Rachel put Piper on the couch. While Annabeth had rushed down the hall to get a med kit. Piper was still breathing but she didn't wake up, it was like the Helicarrier all over again of where Phil went into hat coma and woke up a week later.

"We've got to heal her. There's a way, right?" Emily knelt down besides Piper as Chiron put his hand on he forehead and grimaced.

"Her mind is in a fragile state. Rachel, what happened?" Emily out her hands over Piper, Emily could feel the state of mind that Piper was in, so Emily had allowed hope enter her and used to help calm Piper down since it seem like everything in Piper was racing.

"I wish I knew. As soon as I got to camp, I had a premonition about Hera's cabin. I went inside. Annabeth and Piper came in while I was there. We talked, and then—I just blanked out. Annabeth said I spoke in a different voice." As Rachel spoke that Jason looked at her and Emily leaned to him and whispered.

"What I did should help but what I did wasn't healing. I can heal people yes but I can't heal her from the state she is in." Jason nodded when Emily said that.

"A prophecy?"

"No. The spirit of Delphi comes from within. I know how that feels. This was like long distance, a power trying to speak through me." Annabeth ran in with a leather pouch and knelt next to Piper.

"Chiron, what happened back there—I've never seen anything like it. I've heard Rachel's prophecy voice. This was different. She sounded like an older woman. She grabbed Piper's shoulders and told her—"

"To free her from a prison?" Annabeth stared at Japan when he said that.

"How did you know that?" Chiron had made a three fingered gesture over his heart.

"Jason, Emily, tell them. Annabeth, the medicine bag, please." Chiron had trickled drops from a medicine vial into Piper's mouth while Jason and Emily had explained what happen with Hera. When they were done no one spoke of which wasn't a big surprise for Emily since things like his happen rarely.

"So does this happen often?mSupernatural phone calls from convicts demanding you bust them out of jail?"

"Your patron. Not your godly parent?"

"No, she said patron. She also said my dad had given her my life."

"I've never of heard anything like that before. You said the storm spirit on the skywalk—he claimed to be working for some mistress who was giving him orders, right? Could it be this woman you saw, messing with your mind?"

"I don't think so, If she were my enemy, why would she be asking for my help? She's imprisoned. She's worried about some enemy getting more powerful. Something about a king rising from the earth on the solstice—" Annabeth had turned to Chiron.

"Not Kronos. Please tell me it's not that." Chiron looked miserable and Emily couldn't blame him, with everything that had happened that day. He he held Piper's wrist checking her pulse. It was a while before he spoke.

"It is not Kronos. That threat is ended. But …"

"But what?" Chiron closed the medicine bag.

"Piper needs rest. We should discuss this later." Emily wasn't surprise that he changed the subject and refused to talk about what was happening.

"Or now. Sir, Mr. Chiron, you told me the greatest threat was coming. The last chapter. You can't possibly mean something worse than an army of Titans, right?"

" , dear. The woman was Hera. Of course. Her cabin, her voice. She showed herself to Jason at the same moment."

"Hera?mShe took you over? She did this to Piper?"

"I think Rachel's right. The woman did seem like a goddess. And she wore this—this goatskin cloak. That's a symbol of Juno, isn't it?"

"It is?mI've never heard that."

"Of Juno, Hera's Roman aspect, in her most warlike state. The goatskin cloak was a symbol of the Roman soldier."

"So Hera is imprisoned? Who could do that to the queen of the gods?" Annabeth crossed her arms.

"Well, whoever they are, maybe we should thank them. If they can shut up Hera—"

"Annabeth, she is still one of the Olympians. In many ways, she is the glue that holds the gods' family together. If she truly has been imprisoned and is in danger of destruction, this could shake the foundations of the world. It could unravel the stability of Olympus, which is never great even in the best of times. And if Hera has asked Jason for help—"

"Fine. Well, we know Titans can capture a god, right? Atlas captured Artemis a few years ago. And in the old stories, the gods captured each other in traps all the time. But something worse than a Titan … ?"

"Hera said she'd been trying to break through her prison bonds for a month."

"Which is how long Olympus has been closed. So the gods must know something bad is going on."

"But why use her energy to send me here? She wiped my memory, plopped me into the Wilderness School field trip, and sent you a dream vision to come pick me up. Why am I so important? Why not just send up an emergency flare to the other gods—let them know where she is so they bust her out?"

"The gods need heroes to do their will down here on earth. That's right, isn't it? Their fates are always intertwined with demigods."

"That's true, but Jason's got a point. Why him? Why take his memory?"

"And Piper's involved somehow. Hera sent her the same message—Free me. And, Annabeth, this must have something to do with Percy's disappearing." Annabeth had looked at Chiron.

"Why are you so quiet, Chiron? What is it we're facing?" Emily looked at Chiron, he looked like he had aged ten years.

"My dear, in this, I cannot help you. I am so sorry."

"You've never … you've never kept information from me. Even the last great prophecy—"

"I will be in my office. I need some time to think before dinner. Rachel, will you watch the girl? Call Argus to bring her to the infirmary, if you'd like. And Annabeth, you should speak with Jason. Tell him about—about the Greek and Roman gods."

"But …" Chiron had turned his wheelchair and rolled towards the hallway but he stopped for a moment and this he looked at Emily.

"Emily, I want you to come with me. You know what we are going to talk about." Emily had got up from she was sitting before she could move any more that Annabeth spoke.

"Why talk to her?" Emily slaked over to Annabeth and put her hands on Annabeth's shoulders.

"That is because I know what is happening or know more than what you know."

"What is happening?"

"Annabeth, you can't know, not now. But you will know soon enough. But I need to ask you something." Annabeth looked surprise but she nodded telling Emily to go on. "I am no oracle." She looked over at Rachel as she said that before looking back at Annabeth. "But I had over sixty years of reading and learning of all the stories of every myths of the gods there is as well as do my duties. Due to my godly parents that I am able to know certain things that is happening above or below the world. Due to the things I heard that I need you to promise me that as the prophecy of the eight is being played out not to cause any trouble or at least due your best."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't say now, but you will learn soon enough and I expect you will know after this quest to save Hera ends."

"I promise that I will try not to cause trouble." Emily nodded and she followed Chiron down the hallway and to his office, once he were inside that Chiron closed the door and Emily sat down in a chair. Chiron had turned the wheelchair and looked at Emily.

"I assume you meet Jason before?"

"I have, he is the son of Jupiter and one of the praetor of the twelfth legion." Chiron sighed and rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

"Why would Hera being Jason here without his memories?" Emily closed her eyes and thought to camp Jupiter, she remembers that the prophecy of the eight was in the floor of the temple of Jupiter.

"I believe that the prophecy of the eight concerns both roman and Greek demigods. That if either camps try to pick eight from their own camps that they would fail even the eight is among the eight they picked." Emily opened her eyes and looked at Chiron of who paled as she looked at him and looked another ten years older. "I believe that it will take the combine efforts of both camps to face this threat."

"I am afraid you are right. This could mean another war between the demigods."

"I know, this is a gamble." Neither one said anything, they both sat there. After a few minutes that Chiron and spoke.

"Emily, aren't you an ambassador over there."

"I was the ambassador of Pluto till I handed it to Nico by my father's request. But I took the title of ambassador of Vesta than the Romans wanted me to be the leader of the Vestal Virgins and reform it since it was lost long time ago. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do that. I would admit that for most of my life I had been a virgin, up till the last few months, but there is no way I was going to take a vow to remain a virgin or a maiden for the rest of my life. There was only one if that was going happen." Chiron smiled slightly and he became ten years younger.

"You know your place in camp Jupiter can help with bringing the two camps together. But do they know that you are Emily Rogers or Rachel Blackthrone."

"Both, I had told them about my real name after they meet Bucky or a good amount of them meet Bucky. We went there for the honeymoon. It was the next visit, after the honeymoon, that they wanted to do the whole vestal virgins."

"Do you know what it means to be Vesta's ambassador?"

"I do, she wanted me to her her ambassador while I was Pluto's ambassador but that would be too much for me, even after getting use to what I do. I knew one day I would give my title of ambassador of Pluto to one of my half siblings and when that happen at I would those on the title of Ambassador of Vesta. I knew when I did that, that I would also become the protector of the roman state and the home. I have to admit that when I gave it to Nico that I had a feeling that I would need the title I carry now. I believe that because of this prophecy is the reason."

"I believe you are with what Hera said, as work as judging of what you did in World War II and what you have done since." Neither one said anything for a few minutes, after those few minutes that Emily spoke up.

"Chiron, is there anything else you want to talk about?"

"Do me a favor and watch over Jason and look out for Percy at Camp Jupiter. As well as to keep me updated of what is happening at camp Jupiter for the next few months."

"All right, I will do that, however I can't say I will town you even time I come here. But when something or someone important comes along that I will tell you or let you know." Chiron nodded, Emily got up and left Chiron's office.


	3. Chapter 3

Emily had went to the camp offices of where Piper was, as Emily entered the room that Piper had just woke up. Her eyes were closed but she had reached down and closed her hand around a dagger. Emily was close of grasping when she saw the dagger in Piper's hand, it was Katoptris, Helen's dagger. Emily remembered trying it out for a weapon when Emily had first got to camp but it didn't fit her hand. It felt weird in her hand unlike the dagger Hestia had gave her all those years ago of which was one of the leaves on her green bracelet. Than Rachel spoke.

"How are you feeling?" Piper had opened her eyes and tried to focus, Emily leaned against the wall as Piper tried to focus.

"Where—" Both Emily and Rachel had noticed of where Piper was looking and Rachel spoke first.

"That's Argus, our head of security. He's just keeping an eye on things … so to speak."

"Where—?"

"You're in the Big House, Camp offices. We brought you here when you collapsed."

"You grabbed me, Hera's voice—"

"I'm so sorry about that. Believe me, it was not my idea to get possessed. Chiron healed you with some nectar—"

"Nectar?"

"The drink of the gods. In small amounts, it heals demigods, if it doesn't—ah—burn you to ashes."

"Oh. Fun." Rachel sat forward.

"Do you remember your vision?" Emily watched as Piper and Rachel, Emily wondered what Piper saw and heard in her vision.

"Something's wrong with the goddess. She told me to free her, like she's trapped. She mentioned the earth swallowing us, and a fiery one, and something about the solstice."

"Hera created Argus. He's actually very sensitive when it comes to her safety. We're trying to keep him from crying, because last time that happened …well, it caused quite a flood." Emily watched as argus sniffles and he grabbed a fistful of Kleenex and started dabbing himself. Emily felt sorry for him, Hera wasn't her favorite goddess but she knew that Hera was important to Olympus. But it seems that argus was one of the ones taking it the worst.

"So … What's happened to Hera?"

"We're not sure, Annabeth and Jason were here for you, by the way. Jason didn't want to leave you, but Annabeth had an idea—something that might restore his memories."

"That's … that's great." Emily could tell something was bothering Piper, of what was bothering was something Emily could guess at. Piper had looked down at the dagger that was strapped to her side, Emily wondered why Piper had picked Katoptris in the first place since it was rarely used in battle. Emily wasn't even sure if it was used in battle ever.

"Don't worry. Jason seems like a good guy. He had a vision too, a lot like yours. Whatever's happening with Hera—I think you two are meant to work together. Emily had saw the same vision as well." Rachel smiled when she said that, but it seem to have the opposite effect on Piper, it was than that Piper had noticed Emily in the room. Some tears started to roll down Piper's cheek. "Hey. No need to cry. You'll figure it out." Piper had wiped her eyes.

"How can you know what I'm facing?"

"I know it's a hard choice, and your options aren't great. Like I said, I get hunches sometimes. But you're going to be claimed at the campfire. I'm almost sure. When you know who your godly parent is, things might be clearer." Piper sat up in the bed she was in.

"I hope it's Athena." Piper looked between Emily and Rachel, both Emily and Rachel smiled when Piper had said that. However Emily had doubts that Piper was a daughter of Athena, for all children of Athena usually had blond hair and gray eyes. But there had been a couple of expeditions though,

"Piper, I don't blame you. Truthfully? I think Annabeth is hoping that too. You guys are a lot alike."

"I think Athena would suit you best. However it had been known of when we thought one was a child of a certain god but turned to be a child of another god. Most people thought I was a daughter of either Aphrodite, Apollo or Athena. But I am a daughter of Demeter." Piper merely nodded at Emily before looking back at Rachel.

"Another hunch? You don't know anything about me."

"You'd be surprised."

"You're just saying that because you're an oracle, aren't you? You're supposed to sound all mysterious." Rachel laughed

"Don't be giving away my secrets, Piper. And don't worry. Things will work out—just maybe not the way you plan."

"That's not making me feel better." In he distance a conch horn blew, argus grumbled and opened the door.

"Dinner?"

"You slept through it. Time for the campfire. Let's go find out who you are."

At the campfire, Emily was sitting next to Piper, it was clear, to Emily at last, that Piper felt uncomfortable at the campfire. Most likely because it was something that she hasn't seen before, the Apollo campers were with guitars and other things. The Apollo campers were jumping around leading a song about pieces of armor, Emily knows it was weird for new campers to come to their first campfire. Steve and Bucky felt the same way after her first night that she woke up from her overuse in her powers. For Steve and Bucky didn't go to the other campfires, the rest of the time that they were at camp. The flames got higher and the flames also changed different colors When the song ended that it was meet with a rowdy applause, than Chiron and trotted up.

"Very nice! And a special welcome to our new arrivals. I am Chiron, camp activities director, and I'm happy you have all arrived here alive and with most of your limbs attached. In a moment, I promise we'll get to the s'mores, but first—"

"What about capture the flag?" Emily rolled her eyes she one of the ares campers yelled at Chiron. Grumbling broke out from where the ares cabin was sitting,

somebody yelled. Grumbling broke out among some kids in armor, sitting under a red banner with the emblem of a boar's head.

"Yes, I know the Ares cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games."

"And kill people!"

"However, until the dragon is brought under control, that won't be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report on that?" Chiron turned to the Hephaestus cabin, Emily noticed the guy, Leo, had winked at Piper before he shot her with a finger gun. Emily could tell, with the powers that Hestia had gave her, that Leo and Piper think of each other as brother and sister. Than Nyssa had stood up and spoke,

"We're working on it."

"How, Nyssa?"

"Really hard." Nysa sat down to a lot yelling and complaining, Emily thought that was unfair to her and the cabin. Emily had seen them working on it for the last while and they were trying their hardest with the dragon. The fire started to sputter chaotically, Chiron had stamped his hoof against the fire pit stones causing the campers o fell silent.

"We will have to be patient. In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to discuss."

"Percy?" The fire dimmed even further, even without he flames it was clear of how anxiety the campers were. Chiron had gestured to Annabeth, she took a deep breath and stood up.

"I didn't find Percy, He wasn't at the Grand Canyon like I thought. But we're not giving up. We've got teams everywhere. Grover, Tyson, Nico, the Hunters of Artemis —everyone's out looking. We will find him. Chiron's talking about something different. A new quest."

"It's the Great Prophecy, isn't it?" Everyone turned, Emily admit that she was surprised that Drew had even bothered to speak up, usually children of Aphrodite don't say anything while they were at the campfire. Everyone was surprised when Drew had spoke.

"Drew? What do you mean?"

"Well, come on. Olympus is closed. Percy's disappeared. Hera sends you a vision and you come back with three new demigods in one day. I mean, something weird is going on. The Great Prophecy has started, right?"

"What's she talking about—the Great Prophecy?" Emily heard Piper whispered that to Rachel, everyone was looking at Rachel before Drew had spoke once more.

"Well? You're the oracle. Has it started or not?" Rachel had stood up and stepped forward calmly.

"Yes, The Great Prophecy has begun." Chaos had broke out at once, after a couple off minutes that the campers had stopped talking. Rachel had took another step forward, most of the demigods had leaned away from her of which Emily found amusing ever since they got a live mortal oracle. "For those of you who have not heard it, the Great Prophecy was my first prediction. It arrived in August. It goes like this:

'Eight half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall—'" than Jason and shot to his feet, his eyes looked wild like he had been tasered, it reminded her of the story of when thro was tasered. Emily had leaned away from Jason, she had known for twelve years and she never once seen him like this. Rachel seems to be off guard as well.

"J-Jason? What's—"

"Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus, Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem." Emily sighed in relief, she wasn't sure what happened but somehow something his memories return for a few moments. Emily knows that he hears the prophecy of the eight. An uneasy silence settled on the group, it was clear that the demigods were having time trying to figure out what he said,

"You just … finished the prophecy, —An oath to keep with a final breath/And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. How did you—"

"I know those lines. I don't know how, but I know that prophecy."

"In Latin, no less. Handsome and smart." Emily rolled her eyes, if she was in Jason's place she would pay no heed to Drew what so ever. Jason sat back down, looking embarrassed. Annabeth had put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, Emily was sure that Piper didn't like that much or from she was able to gather. For it was clear Piper likes, or loves, Jason, but up till that day neither one of them meet. However she hadn't heard their stories of what happen, she heard only Jason's. Rachel looked a little shaken, she glances at Chiron but he stood grim and silent, Emily bit her lip. She didn't dare say anything, Jason being here was risk enough she wasn't sure what kind of risk it would be if she stand anything expect for what will happen to her.

" , yeah, that's the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for years, but I fear it's starting now. I can't give you proof. It's just a feeling. And like Drew said, some weird stuff is happening. The seven demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet. I get the feeling some are here tonight. Some are not here." The campers began to stir and mutter, looking at each other, Emily thought of what Hera said earlier that she knows all eight expect one. But than Clovis had spoke up.

"I'm here! Oh … were you calling roll?"

"Go back to sleep, Clovis."

"Anyway, we don't know what the Great Prophecy means. We don't know what challenge the demigods will face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War, we can guess the second Great Prophecy will predict something at least that bad."

"Or worse." The campfire turned a dark purple.

"What we do know is that the first phase has begun. A major problem has arisen, and we need a quest to solve it. Hera, the queen of the gods, has been taken." There was shocked silence before fifty demigods started talking at once, Chiron had pounded his hoof again but Rachel still had to wait before she could have their attention or even say anything. When the talking stopped that Rachel had told them about the incident at the Grand Canyon skywalk, what happened to Gleeson Hedge sacrificed himself, the spirits warnings and that they serve some great mistress who would destroy all demigods. Emily shivered at the last part, Emily knew at once to who that was and she didn't like it one bit. Rachel told the campers about what happen in Hera's cabin, though Drew was doing a fake faint, than Rachel went on about Jason's and Emily's vision. After Rachel finished that she looked at Jason.

"Jason, Um … do you remember your last name?" Jason looked self conscious and shook his head, than he looked at Emily and spoke.

"Emily, I think I know you. I don't know why. I know you said your name is common, I am not going to deny that. But I want to say I know you. If you did, can you tell them what my last name is." Everyone was looking at Emily when Jason had said that, Emily was looking at Jason, she wasn't pay any attention to the campers. His face was begging her to answer Rachel's question and for his own ease of mind, it was something that looked odd on his face. She didn't want to do this but she had to.

"I do know you, but I can't say no more."

"We well just call you Jason for now. It's clear Hera herself has issued you a quest." Rachel had paused and it was during that time that Emily looked over at Chiron of who looked even more worried than usually, Emily had told Chiron about ten years ago about Jason but until today he never saw Jason before. So Chiron was aware of Jason and who he was but had he had no idea what Jason looked like. Emily had never told Chiron of what he looked like because Jason didn't look like Zeus or Thalia, expect for a couple of things.

"I agree."

"You must save Hera to prevent a great evil. Some sort of king from rising. For reasons we don't yet understand, it must happen by the winter solstice, only four days from now."

"That's the council day of the gods. If the gods don't already know Hera's gone, they will definitely notice her absence by then. They'll probably break out fighting, accusing each other of taking her. That's what they usually do."

"The winter solstice, is also the time of greatest darkness. The gods gather that day, as mortals always have, because there is strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods. It is a day when things … stir." Emily shivered, Emily wasn't sure of how many times she had gotten worried on the winter solstice because of how strong the ancient evil magic was. Annabeth glared at Chiron before she spoke.

"Okay, Thank you, Captain Sunshine. Whatever's going on, I agree with Rachel. Jason has been chosen to lead this quest, so—"

"Why hasn't he been claimed? If he's so important—"

"He has been claimed. Long ago. Jason, give them a demonstration." It was clear that Jason didn't seem to understand but he stepped forward none the less. Jason had glanced at Piper and Emily, Piper had nodded and mimicked flipping a coin. Jason had pulled out his coin and flipped it, when he caught it that it was a javelin. The demigods gasped, Rachel and Annabeth stepped back to avoid the point.

"Wasn't that … I thought you had a sword."

"Um, it came up tails, I think. Same coin, long-range weapon form."

"Dude, I want one!"

"Better than Clarisse's electric spear, Lamer!"

"Electric, Back away." Annabeth and Rachel got the message and backed away, Emily had grinned the bench, ready for what was going to happen. Jason had raised his javelin and thunder broke open the sky above, Emily felt her hair on her arms stood straight. Lighting arched down though the golden spear point and hit the campfire with the force of an artillery shell. When the smoked cleared that the entire camp sat frozen in shock and most of the campers were covered in ashes. Jason and lowered his javelin.

"Um … sorry." Chiron had brushed some bruins coals out of his beard.

"A little overkill, perhaps, but you've made your point. And I believe we know who your father is."

"Jupiter, I mean Zeus. Lord of the Sky." Both Emily and Piper smiled, since Emily knows Jason that she knew who his godly parent was. The rest of the camp was not as sure since everything went chaos, Emily rolled her eyes when that happened. There not any other demigods that she could think that could do what Jason did expect for Thalia and Lauren. This Annabeth raised her arms and managed to get everyone to calm down.

"Hold it! How can he be the son of Zeus? The Big Three … their pact not to have mortal kids … how could we not have known about him sooner?" Chiron didn't answer, when Annabeth looked at Emily that Emily looked away and refused to answer. Rachel had spoke up.

"The important thing is that Jason's here now. He has a quest to fulfill, which means he will need his own prophecy." Emily had looked up as Rachel closed her eyes and swooned, out of the corner of her eyes hat she noticed a figure in the entrance of the Amphitheater. Due to her night vision that she could see who it was, he stood at about 5'9", brown hair and blue eyes, lightly tanned skin and he was wearing a suit. Emily smiled slightly when she saw Phil standing there, he had a look of surprise on his face. He was looks at her and he mouthed at her. 'Is he roman for he doesn't seem like he is free? And is he really a son of Jupiter?' He nodded to Jason, Emily looked at Jason before looking back at Phil and nodded when he said that. The look Emily gave him told Phil enough to know that she would talk to him later. Phil stepped further into the shadows but Emily could see him still.

Thankfully, no one else she notice Phil standing there. She looked away as two campers rushed forward and caught Rachel as she had started to swoon. A third demigod had ran to the side of the amphitheater and grabbed a bronze three legged stool. The third had put the stool under Rachel and they eased Rachel onto the stool in front of the ruined hearth. From how they quick they were and with the ease they did made it clear that he had been doing it a lot in recent months. Since there was no fire, the night was dark but there was green mist that was starting to swirl around Rachel's feet. When Rachel opened her eyes that they were glowing green, emerald smoke issued from her mouth. The voice that had come out sounded like three Rachels and it sounded ancient and raspy.

"Child of lightning, beware the earth

The giants' revenge the seven shall birth

The forge and dove shall break the cage

And death unleash through Hera's rage."

Rachel collapsed on the last word and the demigods who helped her were waiting to catch her. They she carried her away from the hearth and laid her in a corner to rest.

On the last word, Rachel collapsed, but her helpers were waiting to catch her. They carried her away from the hearth and laid her in the corner to rest.

"Is that normal? I mean… does she spew green smoke a lot?"

"Gods, you're dense! She just issued a prophecy—Jason's prophecy to save Hera! Why don't you just—" Emily had jumped as Drew spoke and spoke before anyone could say anything.

"Drew, unless if you forget she only get here today, so she doesn't know what a prophecy is like when it is given. Piper had ask a fair question, unlike you of where you gave her an unfair answer. Next time you think you give an answer like that or even try belittle Piper or anyone else for that matter that I will make sure you wish you never down it."

"Thanks, Emily." Emily nodded to Annabeth and sat back down with Drew glaring it, Emily glared back making Drew slid down. "Something about that prophecy definitely isn't normal. If breaking Hera's cage unleashes her rage and causes a bunch of death … why would we free her? It might be a trap, or—or maybe Hera will turn on her rescuers. She's never been kind to heroes."

"I don't have much choice. Hera took my memory. I need it back. Besides, we can't just not help the queen of the heavens if she's in trouble." Nyssa had stood back up before she spoke.

"Maybe. But you should listen to Annabeth. Hera can be vengeful. She threw her own son—our dad—down a mountain just because he was ugly."

"Real ugly."

"Shut up! Anyway, we've also got to think —why beware the earth? And what's the giants' revenge? What are we dealing with here that's powerful enough to kidnap the queen of the heavens?" No one answered for a few moments but Annaneth had spoke up.

"It's Jason's quest,mso it's Jason's choice. Obviously, he's the child of lightning. According to tradition, he may choose any two companions."

"Well, you, obviously, Annabeth. You've got the most experience."

"No, off, I'm not helping Hera. Every time I've tried, she's deceived me, or it's come back to bite me later. Forget it. No way. Secondly, I'm leaving first thing in the morning to find Percy." Piper than spoke.

"It's connected, You know that's true, don't you? This whole business, your boyfriend's disappearance—it's all connected."

"How? If you're so smart, how?" Piper tried to form an answer but couldn't Emily was about ready to tell Drew off, yet again, but Annabeth spared them boy.

"You may be right, Piper. If this is connected, I'll find out from the other end—by searching for Percy. As I said, I'm not about to rush off to rescue Hera, even if her disappearance sets the rest of the Olympians fighting again. But there's another reason I can't go. The prophecy says otherwise."

"It says who I pick, The forge and dove shall break the cage. The forge is the symbol of Vul—Hephaestus."

"If you have to beware the earth,'you should avoid traveling overland. You'll need air flying chariot's broken, and the pegasi, we're using them to search for Percy. But maybe Hephaestus cabin can help figure out something else to help. With Jake incapacitated, I'm senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest." Before anyone could say anything that Leo stood up.

"It's me." Some of his cabin mates tried to pull back into his seat but Leo resisted. "No, it's me. I know it is. I've got an idea for the transportation problem. Let me try. I can fix this!"

"We started this together, Leo. Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride, you're in."

"Yes!"

"It'll be dangerous. Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive."

"Oh. I mean … Oh, cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let's do this."

"Then, Jason, you only need to choose the third quest member. The dove—" suddenly Drew was on her feet flashing Jason a smile, Emily knew she was going to use her char speak. Thankfully due to being blessed by Hecate, for when Emily goes and sees Arabella at Hogwarts to visit and help her train, that Emily was immune to charmspeak.

"Oh, absolutely! The dove is Aphrodite. Everybody knows that. I am totally yours." Piper had stepped forward.

"No."

"Oh, please, Dumpster girl. Back off."

"I had the vision of Hera; not you. I have to do this."

"Anyone can have a vision. You were just at the right place at the right time. Look, fighting is all fine, I suppose. And people who build things … Well, I suppose someone has to get their hands dirty. But you need charm on your side. I can be very persuasive. I could help a lot." Emily rolled her eyes, Drew was so dumb and annoying, Emily was sure that even all he animals were smarter than Drew.

"Well … Given the wording of the prophecy—"

"No! I'm supposed to go." Emily raised an eyebrow when Piper had spoke, when Piper had spoke that Emily could hear the charms peak in her voice, everyone had the same ration as when Drew spoke.

"Get over it! What can Piper do?" It seemed that Piper couldn't find an answer, Emily noticed that Drew's charmspeak was weaker than Piper's charmspeak. Emily had stood up and spoke.

"She can do more than you can and ever will do. For starters," Emily looked at Piper of who looked surprised that Emily was talking for her. This Emily looked at Drew. "She can face her own battles, she isn't own to be pushed around. She can stand her ground and would fight her enemies unlike you of who hid behind a tree to not damaged her looks. For looks are unimportant in a quest, besides you should know if a gods send a vision to someone that they are the ones to be sent on the quests." Drew was about ready to say thing but stopped as the campers gasp, Emily turned and smiled. Piper was covered in a reddish glow, her clothes had changed within seconds,

"What?" She had looked above her to look for the symbol like with Leo, the a she had looked down at herself and yelped. Piper looked uncomfortable when she saw what she was wearing, she was wearing a white sleeveless gown that went down to her ankles. The v-neck was low, if it was Emily she would feel embarrass with everyone looking at her like it was Piper. There was delicate gold armbands circling her biceps, there was an intricate necklace of Amber, coral, and gold flowers glittering around her neck. Her hair was perfect, it was lush, long and chocolate brown color or at least the hair color was brought more than it had been. Her hair was braided with with gold ribbons down one side so that the braid fell across her shoulder. She was even wearing makeup, it was subtle touched that brought her her ever changing eye color.

"Oh, god. What's happened?" A stunned Annabeth had pointed at Piper's dagger, after a minute she had unsheathed Katoptris and stared at her reflection.

"Beautiful. Piper, you … you're a knockout." Emily looked at Drew of whose face was full of horror and revulsion, she looked so horrid that Emily couldn't help but smile, but she had to control her laugh for she wanted to fall to the floor and laugh her head off form the look on Drew's face.

"No! Not possible!"

"This isn't me, I—don't understand." Chiron had folded his front legs and bowed to her, everyone had followed the example. Than Chiron announced gravely.

"Hail, Piper McLean, Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love." After that everyone had went their different ways, Phil had emerged from the shadows and walked over to her as Jason and Piper left so that the only ones that were there was Annabeth, Rachel, Chiron and Emily. It was Chiron who spoke first.

"Phil, I didn't expect to see you here."

"I know, I went to the tower to talk to Emily, only to learn form Lauren that she was here." From the look on his face that Emily had a feeling of what Phil wanted to talk to her about. Emily looked at Annabeth and Rachel.

"Do you mind if you two leave?"

"Why can't you talk in front of us?" Emily sighed and ran her fingers though her hair.

"Annabeth, you can't know not yet unless if you figured it out yourself or if one of the gods told you. The last option is unlikely unless if you have a certain god for a parent that is willing to towel you." Annabeth growled and cursed in Ancient Greek and left with Rachel right behind her. Emily turned to Phil and looked at him.

"All right, how did you figure it out?"

"Well I had followed on the demigods with the purple shirts into the tunnel and I found the camp. I didn't quite expect to find it."

"How long have you known?"

"Two days." Emily merely nodded than Chiron and spoke.

"So you know about the Romans than?"

"I do, S.H.I.E.L.D. had thought that there was more an just the one set of demigods because elf the ones wearing purple shirts and how they disappeared in the Caldecott tunnel. We had ask Emily of who told us to drop it."

"Of which you didn't."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. did, I didn't though. I wanted to know why you said what you said. Now I understand and I already made the oath not to talk about. But I am curios of why a roman is here?"

"Because Hera made a gamble from the looks of things." Phil raised an eyebrow when Emily said that. "That was Jason a Grace, son of Jupiter and a praetor of the twelfth legion." Phil looked surprised when Emily had said that.

"You mean the one that is missing?"

"Yes, we also have a missing demigod here too, Percy."

"I heard about that, where is he now?"

"At the moment, no one knows for sure, but there are only two places do where he might be or could be in the near future. That is either what is called the wolf house or a camp Jupiter. Anyway, you better get back to headquarters while I go back to the tower." Emily ran at a shadow and disappeared and reappeared on her level of the avenger tower.


	4. Chapter 4

When Emily had got back to the avengers tower that everyone had ask of what happened, Emily did her best to explain of what happen since Lauren had left. Emily couldn't tell them everything though, when Emily had went back down to her level with Bucky that she had explained everything to him since he was aware of the Romans. However he had never meet Jason while he was there, though he was only there the one time. Even though he liked the city itself, Bucky just didn't like how Camp Jupiter and New Rome were run. The next day that Steve, Lauren and Bucky wanted to follow Jason and the other two, so for the next few days they did their best to follow them. It proved a bit difficult, but they managed to find some clear sighted mortals that saw a metal dragon. Emily knew that had to be Jason and the other two, it didn't take them long to find the crash landing sight.

Thankfully the cyclops that lived in the car shops didn't realized that they had company till after Emily and the others had left. After that it took a while to figure out of where Jason and the others went to till they reached San Francisco, there was two places that they could have gone. While Steve and Lauren had went on foot that Emily and Bucky had used a helicopter, Emily had found that amusing since Lauren was a daughter of Zeus. Though it wasn't as amusing as Thalia being scared of heights, Emily had found that out by accident. As they flew closer to Mount Diablo and keeping an eye out for the three questers that Bucky had spoke.

"Emily, how come you didn't bring up the Romans to the others? They are bound to find out soon enough."

"I know that they are going to find out soon, you know why I can't tell them because of the oath I had made."

Bucky was about ready to say something when she could hear shouts from what sounded like a bullhorn or something like that. Emily had looked down and saw that it was Piper, Leo and Jason, Emily had also notice Gleeson down there as well. Emily was surprised to see Gleeson down there, so Emily had landed the helicopter, all four were surprised to see Emily in the pilot seat. It seems that Jason was the most surprised of the three than Piper and Leo. Piper had asked Emily to take them to the Oakland airport of which was just fine with Emily. However it was ankh evoke that Emily had realized that they were not the only ones there. Piper had ran over to a man and helped him. When she saw him hat she knew who he was because he was from the movies as well as his appearance was similar to Piper. It was Tristan McLean, honestly Emily expected him to be a little taller than what he was. He was about her height of 5'7" maybe an inch shorter than her. He had the same skin tone as Piper, he had black hair and black eyes.

"No, Piper, what—there were monsters—there were monsters—" Emily felt awful,MIT was clear that he had been kidnapped by some Greek monsters or something Greek related but he was having a hard time dealing with it. Emily knew that some of the parents of demigods had a hard time dealing with the fact that their loves were gods or goddess and that they don't tell them. Sometimes the gods or goddess don't tell the mortals percent for own reason or another, other times that the mortal parents knew who they were. It was clear that Piper's parent was one of the ones that would have a hard time hardly the truth from the state of mind he was in. As Piper, Leo and Jason helped Tristan over to the helicopter that she had looked at Bucky of who looked surprised by the state that Tristan was in.

"It'll be okay, Dad. These people are my friends. We're going to help you. You're safe now." Emily could hear the soothing of the voice and she could tell that Piper had improved her charmspeak once she realized that she could use it and had it. Tristan had blinked and looked at the helicopter rotors.

"Blades. They had a machine with so many blades. They had six arms …" When they reached the doors that Emily and Bucky had helped them inside with Tristan before they had took off into the air. As they took off that Bucky had picked up the radio that they had brought with them so they could contact Lauren and Steve.

"Calling Howling commandos." Emily snorted and laughed when Bucky had said that. Emily directed the helicopter towards Berkeley hills. Than Steve's voice had come over.

"You know, you can use our names."

"What's the fun in that?"

"Have you found them yet?"

"We have, we are heading towards the Oakland airport, so get down here."

"We will meet you there." As Bucky out it down that Tristan was flaking to Piper.

"Piper. It's you? They told me—they told me you would die. They said … horrible things would happen."

"It's me, Dad. Everything's going to be okay."

"They were monsters. Real monsters. Earth spirits, right out of Grandpa Tom's stories—and the Earth Mother was angry with me. And the giant, Tsul'k?l?, breathing fire—" He focused on Piper again, his eyes like broken glass, reflecting a crazy kind of light. "They said you were a demigod. Your mother was …"

"Aphrodite, Goddess of love."

"I—I—" Tristan had took a shaky breath, if Emily wasn't driving she would have looked away by now, she knows Bucky wasn't looking at them. She hoped that the others were not watching either.

"I didn't know about Mom. Not until you were taken. When we found out where you were, we came right away. My friends helped me. No one will hurt you again."

"You're heroes—you and your friends. I can't believe it. You're a real hero, not like me. Not playing a part. I'm so proud of you, mother never told me."

"She thought it was for the best." Emily had glanced back at Piper and Tristan, her heart broke, it was clear this was hurting both of them. Emily hoped that Tristan would forget about this, unless if he drank some sort of potion that was unlikely to happen. Emily looked over at Bucky of who looked at, it was clear that Bucky felt the same way as she did, that things won't be the same for Piper and her father ever again, even if he takes a forgetful potion of what happened. Emily looked away as Piper told her father of the things that happened since she had last same her father. As They past the hills into the easy bay that Emily felt a slight change in weight, she looked back to see aha own leaning out rather far out in the doorway. Jason than pointed.

"What is that?" Emily looked at Bucky of who took over the controls and Emily went to the door and looked out as well as Piper. As Emily looked out that her breath was caught in her throat, she was sure Piper was wondering what Jason was looking at but Emily knew. For there was a hills, woods, houses and other things, among them was Caldecott tunnel.

"Where?"

"That road. The one that goes through the hills." Piper was about ready to pick up the com helmet when Emily spoke up.

"That is Highway 24 and that is the Caldecott Tunnel." Emily didn't need to ask why Jason wanted to know, Emily had went back to her seat and took the controls back from Bucky. Emily was sure that Jason would keep staring at the tunnel till it was out of sight.

"Monsters, I live in a world of monsters." Emily didn't say anything when Piper's father said that. when they reached the airport that Emily was glad that Piper was with her, for she was able to get air traffic control to let the helicopter land at the Oakland airport. When they had landed that Steve and Lauren were waiting for them. When they got off that Emily had went over and hugged both Lauren and Steve, Bucky did the same thing as well. When they hugged that Lauren watched as the others got off as Piper's father had sat in the doorway of the helicopter. Lauren gestured to the three of them.

"I know the one had been claimed but what happen the other two?" Emily looked at the three of them before Emily spoke.

"Jason, the blond hair guy, is a son of Zeus and Piper, the girl, is a daughter of Aphrodite." It was than that the three of them had notice Steve and Lauren and Jason had spoke.

"Who are you two?"

"I am Steve Rogers and is is my wife, Lauren. I am a son of Demeter and she is a daughter of Zeus." Jason was a bit surprised when Steve said that, than Jason and the others had looked at Piper. It was clear that Jason wanted to finish his quest and get his memories back.

"What now?" Emily could tell that she felt uncomfortable at the moment.

"First thing, I—I have to get my dad home. I'm sorry, guys."

"Oh, I mean, absolutely. He needs you right now. We can take it from here."

"Pipes, no." Emily looked over to Piper's father and he managed to stumble to his feet of how he was able to do that was beyond her. "You have a mission. A quest. I can't—"

"I'll take care of him." Emily and Piper stared at Gleeson when he said that.

"You?"

"I'm a protector. That's my job, not fighting." Emily smiled and shook her head, Emily figure that Gleeson didn't like of what happen in that battle. "Of course, I'm good at fighting, too." Gleeson glared at them all, daring them to argue. Bucky and Steve looked at Emily with a look that said, are you kidding me. Emily merely shrugged when they had looked at her and didn't bother to say anything.

"Yes."

"Terrifying."

"But I'm a protector, and I can do this. Your dad's right, Piper. You need to carry on with the quest."

"But … Dad …" Tristan and held his arms out to her and Piper hugged him.

"Let's give them a minute." All of them walked away a few yards and watched as the two interacted, be the champion of Hestia that she was able to tell of what kind relationship people had with their families. Emily knows that they had been closer but something happened that caused a rift between them and the rift was slowly closing in. Emily knew that rift would take a while to heal, Emily watched as Piper offered him a vial of which Tristan looked at before drinking it. Emily figured that was a forgetful potion, Emily never liked using that stuff but when it comes to something like this that Emily could understand of using it. Tristan had than slumped forward and Piper caught him, Emily and the others had went over to help.

"Got him," Gleeson had strumbled but managed to hold Tristan steady. "I already asked one of the workers to call up his plane. It's on the way now. Home address?" Piper had checked her father's pocket and pulled out his blackberry and handed it to Gleeson.

"Everything's on here, Address, his chauffeur's number. Just watch out for Jane."

"Who's Jane?" Piper had explained everything by the time the plane had arrived. Before Gleeson could take Tristan to the plane that Emily had walked over to Tristan and Piper and placed her hands on their foreheads and an orange glow engulfed them before it disappeared. Gleeson had than got Piper's dad to the plane with the help of the attendant.

"You, cupcakes, take care of this girl, you hear? Or I'm gonna make you do push-ups."

"You got it, Coach."

"No push-ups." Piper had hugged Gleeson once more.

"Thank you, Gleeson. Take care of him, please."

"I got this, McLean. They got root beer and veggie enchiladas on this flight, and one hundred percent linen napkins—yum! I could get used to this." As Gleeson went up the stairs that he lost a shoe before he manage to get it back on. As Gleeson was inside that Piper had looked at Emily.

"What was that?"

"A blessing, being the champion of Hestia I can do that. I put the blessing on you two that when you and your father are ready that he would be able to handle knowing the godly world." Piper smiled slightly when Emily said that, Emily could tell that helped Piper feel better of what she had done to her father. Emily wasn't sure if she could do that to Steve, Lauren, Bucky or even her own father. Thankfully, she never had to do that, the plane was heading down the runaway that Piper had started to cry. Jason had went over to her and hugged her, Leo was uncomfortable, however Emily, Steve, Lauren and Bucky were not as uncomfortable for they had went though times of where they couldn't hold it in much longer. Emily had leaned against Bucky as he put his arms around her, Emily had since got use to his metal arm and never gave it much though expect when it needed repairs. Thankfully Hephaestus was willing to help with the repairs or Tony, of which Emily was glad of.

"Your dad's in good hands. You did amazing." Piper had sobbed into Jason's shirt, after a couple of minutes that she was able to calm down,

"Thank you, guys. I—" Emily smiled and nodded, Piper didn't need to say it for they already knew and understood. Than right next to Jason that the air had began to shimmer and an Iris message appeared next to Jason, a girl was in the middle of the Iris message, it was Thalia. Jason had stumbled back in surprise, Steve and Bucky Laos looked surprised as well. Emily looked over at Lauren of who had her hand front of her mouth and was trying hard not to laugh. Even with how true that Steve and Bucky had known for a while about the demigod world, there still things that they didn't know about it.

"Thalia!"

"Thank the gods." Emily could hear sounds of war from behind Thalia."We've found her. Where are you?"

"Oakland. Where are you?"

"The Wolf House! Oakland is good; you're not too far. We're holding off the giant's minions, but we can't hold them forever. Get here before sunset, or it's all over."

"Then it's not too late?"

"Not Jason—it's worse than I realized. Porphyrion is rising. Hurry."

"But where is the Wolf House?" Thalia looked about ready to respond but Emily had stepped forward and spoke.

"Don't worry, I will get them there, I know where it is."

"Emily? What are you doing there?"

"Never mind that Thalia. I will get them there." Thalia nodded and Emily slash though the message making it disappear. Emily had looked at the others before she spoke. "Let's go than." When everyone got on that Emily had took off with Bucky in the co pilot seat as they took off that Emily had told them of where they were going. When Emily had said Sonoma Valley that Emily had noticed that Jason was gaining more memories. When she looked back at him that he had opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. Emily decided to see what she could to do to get him to talk and see how much he remembers.

"So, praetor, do you remember where the wolf house is now?

"An abandoned mansion in the Sonoma Valley. A demigod built it—Jack London, ambassador. Why didn't you tell me about Camp halfblood, ghost girl?" Emily smiled when Jason had said that and laughed, even since since Jason had got to camp that he called her ghost girl since it was easier for him to say at three than Rachel.

"Glad to have you back, lighting boy. So what can you remember?"

"I am not sure." ThanSteve spoke.

"Emily, why did he call you ambassador and why did you call him praetor?" Emily sighed when Steve and said that.

"When we get to Camp Halfblood, I will tell you." Before Steve could say or ask anything else that Leo had spoke up and changed the subject.

"He an actor?"

"Writer. Adventure stuff, right? Call of the Wild? White Fang?"

"Yeah, He was a son of Mercury—I mean, Hermes. He was an adventurer, traveled the world. He was even a hobo for a while. Then he made a fortune writing. He bought a big ranch in the country and decided to build this huge mansion—the Wolf House."

"Named that 'cause he wrote about wolves?"

"Partially. But the site, and the reason he wrote about wolves—he was dropping hints about his personal experience. There're a lot of holes in his life story—how he was born, who his dad was, why he wandered around so much—stuff you can only explain if you know he was a demigod." The bay went behind them as they went on north and hills were rolled out before them.

"So Jack London went to Camp Half-Blood."

"No. No, he didn't."

"Bro, you're freaking me out with the mysterious talk. How much are you remembering your past?"

"Pieces. Only pieces. None of it good. The Wolf House is on sacred ground. It's where London started his journey as a child—where he found out he was a demigod. That's why he returned there. He thought he could live there, claim that land, but it wasn't meant for him. The Wolf House was cursed. It burned in a fire a week before he and his wife were supposed to move in. A few years later, London died, and his ashes were buried on the site."

"So, how do you know all this?" Emily took a sharp intake of breath when Piper had said her, even it wasn't for the fact that she could tell from his expression that he was remembering than she would have known with the connections he had to New Rome was coming back.

"I started my journey there too. It's a powerful place for demigods, a dangerous place. If Gaea can claim it, use its power to entomb Hera on the solstice and raise Porphyrion—that might be enough to awaken the earth goddess fully." Emily had figured when she heard about the wolf house and Hera being trapped there that it was possible that Gaea might use Hera to wake up. Emily hopes it doesn't happen, not now, Emily had out the chopper full speed so that she was racing it north and o the weather up ahead. As Emily directed the chopper that she could feel the heart break from Leo, unlike with the other tow, it seemed like Leo never had a home in a few hours. Emily knew that demigods would run away from home, but it seemed like Leo did it more this once. Emily hoped that he would find a place and home in Camp Halfblood like the other Greek demigods. As they went closer that Emily had spoke.

"Thirty minutes out. If you want to get some rest, now's a good time." Jason had strapped himself into the back of the helicopter and they passed out almost at once. Piper and Leo remained where they were as well as Steve and Lauren, though Emily hadn't been tasking to them when she had said to get some rest. After a few minutes that Emily had spoke. "You two would need some rest."

"I am not sure if I would be able to go to sleep." Piper had nodded when look had said that, after a few moments that Leo spoke once more as he looked at Piper. "Your dad'll be fine, you know. Nobody's gonna mess with him with that crazy goat around."

"My dad. Yeah, I know. I was thinking about Jason. I'm worried about him."

"He's starting to remember. That's got to make him a little edgy."

"But what if … what if he's a different person?" Emily sighed as Piper said that, Emily knew for the fact that Jason was no different, even though Jason was a son of Jupiter, he acted more like he was Greek than a roman. Of which just made Jason stood out more, Emily had always been able to task to him just as easily as she could with Lauren, Steve or Bucky.

"Nah. After all we've been through? I can't see it. We're a team. Jason can handle it."

"I hope you're right. I need him … I mean I need to trust him…" Emily looked over at Lauren and mouthed, oh gee, I wonder where I heard this before? Lauren rolled her eyes and smiled when Emily had did that.

"I know. Hey, don't worry, Piper, you're the strongest, most powerful beauty queen I've ever met. You can trust yourself. For what it's worth, you can trust me too." Bucky than spoke.

"Beauty Queen? Why did you pick the nickname Beauty Queen?" Before Leo or Piper could respond that Emily spoke.

"What about Flower Princess? Why did you pick that nickname for me?" Emily looked over at Bucky, it was clear that he didn't expect her to say that, but he had set himself up for that. Out of the corner of her eye at she could see he others trying not to laugh.

"I just came up with it."

"There you go, you just got your answer to your question." When Emily said that, that the others started to laugh and that was when they hit the storm clouds. Sleet was hitting the windshield, Emily had used her powers over the season to gain some control over the storm. But it wasn't working too well, of which most likely one of the winter gods was close by and there only two that she could think of on top of her head of who it could be,

"An ice storm? Is it supposed to be this cold in Sonoma?" The others were unsure of how to respond but Emily did.

"It does get cold but not this cold. This storm was created by a god or goddess."

"How come you be sure?"

"I have some powers over the seasons and I have some control of what can fall from the clouds and those powers are hardly working. The only ones who have that kind of control are children of the big three, mainly Zeus or Poseidon, or one of the gods of one of the seasons." It was than that Jason had woke up, he had crawled forward and grabbed the seats for balance.

"We've got to be getting close." Emily was too busy to with the stick to reply, it wasn't as easy to drive the chopper had it been a few moments ago before hitting the storm. For the movements had become sluggish and jerky, the whole chopper shuddered as the wind hit them. Emily figure half of it was that the helicopter wasn't made for cold weather and the other half that it had to do with the storm being unnatural. It seem to only get worse, for the controls seem to refused to respond as she tried to control it. They started to lose altitude, as Emily tried to control it that she felt the winds helping her and she knew it was Lauren doing that.

"There!"

"I see it." A small valley opened up before them, there was a murky shape of a building in the middle of the valley. There was flashes of lights and some of the trees cracked and exploded at the edges of the clearing. Emily could see shapes. Living though the mist, it seem like the fighting was everywhere in this valley. It seems that this was the only time that she had seen fighting here since she had known about this place, Emily had managed to set the helicopter down on an icy field about fifty yards from the house. When Emily landed that she heard a whistling sound and saw a dark shape hurtling towards them out of the mist. Emily had shouted

"Out!" They all leaped from the helicopter and barely cleared the rotors before a massive book shook the ground, it felt like if Poseidon was shaking the earth under their feet. It had knocked Emily and the others off their feet, ice had splattered all over her, Emily could feel Bucky's arms around with the hope to take most of the impact of which was mostly the snow. When Bucky had let go of her that Emily got up shakily, when she looked to where the helicopter was that she realized of what hit the helicopter. It was the largest snowball she had ever see, made out of snow, ice and dirt, it was the size of a garage and it had flattened the helicopter. Steve and Lauren had ran over to them while Jason and Piper ran over to Leo of who was nearby.

"Bucky, Emily, are you all right?" Emily managed to get some snow off of her as Bucky spoke.

"Besides being covered with snow and dirt, we are fine." Emily heard Jason asking Leo the same thing, than Piper had pointed south.

"Fighting's over there." Then she frowned. "No … it's all around us." Emily wasn't surprised by that since that was in the direction of the wolf house. Emily could barely make out a circle of fighting all around the wolf house, she would admit that she had night vision but it was difficult to see though a storm like this. The wolf house was a massive ruin of red and gray stones with rough-hewn timber beams. Emily reminded the first time she had come to this place, Hades had told her to come here to pass a test. He didn't explain of why that was or anything, when she reached here that Lupa had out her to a test to prove herself. Lupa had haut started without warning, thankfully World War II had sharpen her senses and she was able to defend herself easy enough after the shock of surprise. It was only after she succeed that Lupa had told her more about the Romans, for Hades had only told her a little bit, and she told Emily of what Hades and Hestia wanted her to do there. Lupa had also told her that she wanted to see what kind of warrior she was and how she would be able to handle herself.

So Lupa had Emily tested, that was not the only thing that happened that day either, for Lupa had did something else that Emily didn't expect her to do. That she walked up to Emily and changed into an appearance of a normal woman before she took her wrist and made sure that Emily's palm was up before speaking a few words in Latin. At the time Emily didn't understand all the words but she knew some of them, when she said that, that Emily felt a burning sensation on her forearm. And when Lupa had let go that Emily had ten bar marks, the SPQR letters, and two symbols, a fire, the symbol of Hestia or Vesta and a glyph that looked like a curves arms and a head, the symbol of Hades or Pluto. Emily still remembers of when she got that tattoo and it was painful, she turned to get rid of it but it can never come off. That is why she always kept her green and blue bracelet on over her tattoo, though most of the time her brown leather jacket would cover it. The only ones that ever saw her tattoo were the Romans and Chiron, after becoming the ambassador that she felt like she had to tell Chiron of which Hades was fine with. Lauren spoke, dragging Emily out of her thoughts.

"This place feels cursed."

"That is because it is cursed." Emily shivered as the feeling of the place entered her. It was a lonely and haunted feel, it always made Emily feel on edge when she comes here to take demigods here.

"Jason!" It was Thalia, she appeared from the fog and her parka was caked with snow. She had her bow in her hand and her quiver was almost empty. Thalia ran towards them but only made it a few steps before a six armed ogre, or Earthborn but Emily liked Orger better, burst out of the storm behind her. It had raised club in each hand, Emily was about ready to say turn when Leo had yelled.

"Look out!" Jason, Piper and Leo had ran to help, but Bucky, Lauren, Steve and Emily remained where they were, since Emily and the others know Thalia can deal with the ogre easy enough. Sure enough Thalia laughed herself into a flip and notched an arrow as she like she was a gymnast her while life. She had landed in a kneeling position and the ogre had got a silver arrow between the eyes, it melted into a pile of clay. Emily, Bucky, Steve and Lauren walked closer to where the others as Thalia stood up and went to retrieved her arrow. The point of the arrow had snapped off, Thalia didn't look to happy about it, Thalia kicked the pile of clay.

"That was my last one. Stupid ogre."

"Nice shot, though." Emily was close of laughing when Thalia ignored Leo, it was clear Thalia didn't care about Leo in any way but it was clear that Leo has a crush on her. Thalia had hugged Jason and nodded to Piper, than she had walked over to Lauren and Emily and hugged them.

"Just in time. My Hunters are holding a perimeter around the mansion, but we'll be overrun any minute."

"By Earthborn?"

"And wolves—Lycaon's minions. Also storm spirits—"

"But we gave them to Aeolus!"

"Who tried to kill us. Maybe he's helping Gaea again."

"I don't know. But the monsters keep re-forming almost as fast as we can kill them. We took the Wolf House with no problem: surprised the guards and sent them straight to Tartarus. But then this freak snowstorm blew in. Wave after wave of monsters started attacking. Now we're surrounded. I don't know who or what is leading the assault, but I think they planned this. It was a trap to kill anyone who tried to rescue Hera."

"Where is she?" Jason asked.

"Inside, We tried to free her, but we can't figure out how to break the cage. It's only a few minutes until the sun goes down. Hera thinks that's the moment when Porphyrion will be reborn. Plus, most monsters are stronger at night. If we don't free Hera soon—" Thalia didn't need to finish what she was saying, they followed her into the wolf house and Jason was the last one to step over the threshold. When Jason stepped over the threshold that the unexpected happen, Jason collapsed and Leo barely managed to catch him before he could fall.

"Hey! None of that, man. What's wrong?" Emily knew what was wrong, more memories were coming back, more than before.

"This place … Sorry … It came rushing back to me."

"So you have been here."

"We both have," Thalia's expression was grim, it was like she was reliving someone's death. "This is where my mom took us when Jason was a child. She left him here, told me he was dead. He just disappeared."

"She gave me to the wolves. At Hera's insistence. She gave me to Lupa."

"That part I didn't know. Who is Lupa?"

"Lupa is the wolf goddess, she trains demigods. She is a counterpart to Chiron." Thalia looked at her ad was about ready to say something when an explosion shook the building. Just outside a blue mushroom cloud billowed up, raining snowflakes and ice like a nuclear blast. But the blast was cold not hear like a nuclear blast would be like.

"Maybe this isn't the time for questions. Show us the goddess." It seemed that once inside that Jason seemed to get his bearings, for Jason lead them between two wings to an outside courtyard. There was an empty reflecting pool in the courtyard, at the bottom of the pool were two spires of rock and root tendrils. The two spires had cracked though the foundation. One of the spires was much bigger, it was a solid dark mass about twenty feet high. Looking at the bigger spire that Emily gasp and put her hands over her mouth from screaming. Emily knew that the giants were rising but seeing one raise was totally different and something she didn't expect to see. The giant was slowly rising from the earth.

On the opposite end of the pool, the other spire was smaller and more loosely woven than the other spire. Each tendril was thick as a telephone pole and there was little space between them at Emily knows she wouldn't be able to put her arm though the space of one of them. But she still could see inside of the spire though, for inside the cage was Hera, there was no mistake in that. Her hair was dark covered with a shawl of which Emily found odd, she was wearing a black dress of a widow, a wrinkled face with glinting and scary eyes. It was weird to see Hera looking like she did at the moment, for she usually had silver or brown hair, brown eyes, and a white dress. Leo had dropped into the pool and approached the cage.

"Hola, Tía. Little bit of trouble?" Emily and the others had jumped down and walked over to the cage while Hera crossed her arms and sighed in exasperation.

"Don't inspect me like I'm one of your machines, Leo Valdez. Get me out of here!" Thalia had stepped next to Leo and looked at Hera with distaste of which was a similar look Lauren had on her face.

"We tried everything we could think of, Leo, but maybe my heart wasn't in it. If it was up to me, I'd just leave her in there."

"Ohh, Thalia Grace. When I get out of here, you'll be sorry you were ever born."

"Save it! You've been nothing but a curse to every child of Zeus for ages. You sent a bunch of intestinally challenged cows after my friend Annabeth—"

"She was disrespectful!"

"You dropped a statue on my legs."

"It was an accident!"

"And you took my brother! Here—on this spot. You ruined our lives. We should leave you to Gaea!"

"Hey, Thalia—Sis—I know. But this isn't the time. You should help your Hunters."

"Fine. For you, Jason. But if you ask me, she isn't worth it." Thalia turned and leaped out of the pool before she stormed out from the building. Emily wasn't one bit surprised that Lauren had took out her bow and quiver of arrows and followed Thalia. When Lauren did that, that Bucky and Steve looked at Emily, Emily sighed.

"Children of Zeus and Hera don't have good history. It is better if Lauren is outside and she knows it too." Before Steve or Bucky could say anything that Leo spoke.

"Intestinally challenged cows?"

"Focus on the cage, Leo. And Jason—you are wiser than your sister. I chose my champion well."

"I'm not your champion, 'm only helping you because you stole my memories and you're better than the alternative. Speaking of which, what's going on with that?" Emily looked over at the other spire and saw that it had grown taller since they entered the building.

"That, Jason, is the king of the giants being reborn."

"Gross."

"Indeed, Porphyrion, the strongest of his kind. Gaea needed a great deal of power to raise him again —my power. For weeks I've grown weaker as my essence was used to grow him a new form."

"So you're like a heat lamp. Or fertilizer." Emily was close of laughing at what Leo said as well as the look at Hera's face, Emily wished hat Lauren was here when Leo had said that. The glare she was giving Leo looked so funny next to her death glare.

"Joke all you wish. But at sundown, it will be too late. The giant will awake. He will offer me a choice: marry him, or be consumed by the earth. And I cannot marry him. We will all be destroyed. And as we die, Gaea will awaken."

"Can't we blow it up or something?"

"Without me, you do not have the power, You might as well try to destroy a mountain."

"Besides even if we did that, it wouldn't do any good unless if it was hellfire or Greek fire." Hera looked at Emily when she said. "Honestly, I am not sure if either one would work in this case. I never tried using it on a cage like his and I have no idea of how it will affect a goddess." Before Hera could say anything that Jason spoke.

"Done that once today."

"No kidding. That is just a daily day in the demigod world."

"Just hurry up and let me out!"

"Leo, can you do it?"

"I don't know. Besides, if she's a goddess, why hasn't she busted herself out?" Hera started to pace furiously around her cage cursing in Ancinet Greek.

"Use your brain, Leo Valdez. I picked you because you're intelligent. Once trapped, a god's power is useless. Your own father trapped me once in a golden chair. It was humiliating! I had to beg—beg him for my freedom and apologize for throwing him off Olympus."

"Sounds fair."

"I've watched you since you were a child, son of Hephaestus, because I knew you could aid me at this moment. If anyone can find a way to destroy this abomination, it is you."

"But it's not a machine. It's like Gaea thrust her hand out of the ground and … Hold on. I do have an idea. Piper, I'm going to need your help. And we're going to need time." Before Leo could do or say anything that the air turned brittle with cold and the temperature dropped so fast that it was unbelievable. Their breath changed to mist, frost coated the walls of the wolf house. Storm spirits rushed in, the storm spirits were shaped like horses with dark storm cloud bodies and manes crackled with lighting. Some had silver arrows sticking out from their bodies, behind them came the wolves and the six armed Earthborn. Piper had drew her dagger and Leo had pulled out a hammer that looked small compared to Thor's hammer. Steve had took his shield form his back while Bucky had his bow and quiver and a sword on his belt along with a gun. However Jason had grabbed an ice covered plank from the ground, it was than that Emily realized that he didn't have his weapon any more.

Emily had took off her necklace and swished it so it had become her Stygian iron sword. Emily tapped Jason's shoulder and handed him the sword, he looked surprised but he took it none the less and nodded in thanks. Jason looked like he was about ready to ask of what she was going to use but she grasp her poppy and it changed into her celestial bronze. He looked shocked when he saw the sword, Emily was sure that he heard about her sword for it was originally Persephone's sword till a hundred years ago when Persephone gave it back to Demeter of who passed it to Emily. Emily knew it had history and it wasn't till she was adopted by Hades that she learned the history of the sword. There was a bunch of legends about the sword in Camp Jupiter and that was why she only used her Stygian iron sword for she made that sword herself. She was more comfortable with using the sword her mother had gave her. Two of the wolves had padded forward and they were dragging a human sized statue by the leg.

When the wolves reached the edge of the pool that they opened their mouths and dropped the statues into the pool. Emily gasp when she saw the two statues, the statues were ice sculpture of two girls, both archers. One had short and spiky black hair while the other one had long straight black hair and there were surprised looks on their faces. Steve was about ready to rush forward but Bucky and Emily held him back before he could move forward when he realized one was Lauren. The statue was already webbing the floor with ice and Emily was worried that Steve might turn into ice if he went near Thalia and Lauren. Apparently Jason was thinking along the same lines as Steve for he started to rush forward but Piper and Leo held him back.

"Thalia!" It was clear that Piper and Leo were thinking along the same lines as Bucky and Emily. "Who did this?" Jason yelled. His body crackled with electricity. "I'll kill you myself!" When Jason said that, that she heard a girl's laughter of which came from behind the monsters, the laughter was clear and cold. Than a girl stepped out of the mist, she had black hair, brown eyes, white and pale skin, and she had a proud look. She was wearing a snowy white silk dress, a silver crown was on top of her hair, she was regarded them. Emily knew who was this, even though Emily had never seen or meet her before.

"Bon soir, mes amis. Alas, son of Hephaestus, you say you need time? I'm afraid time is one tool you do not have."


	5. Chapter 5

Emily was worried and concern, Emily could tell that Jason, Piper and Leo had been though a lot in the last few days and that this was the last thing that any of them needed. Emily was sure that it was not much better for Steve, it was already bad enough for him to be in the ice for sixty six years. But seeing his wife in the ice in a similar state as he had been would be the final blow if Steve had been on the quest this whole time with the other three. It didn't help Emily to see Thalia and Lauren like this, however Emily was sure that this was worse for Jason than Steve. For Emily could sense that Jason's family connection to Thalia and Camp Jupiter growing more since entering this building. She knew from that, that Jason was gaining more memories, of which memories that he was gaining back were unknown to her. Khione had smiled as a dagger of ice grew in her hand.

"What've you done?"

"Oh, so many things, your sisters are not dead, if that's what you mean. She and her Hunters will make fine toys for our wolves. I thought we'd defrost them one at a time and hunt them down for amusement. Let them be the prey for once." The wolves snarled at them, Khione kept her eyes on Jason. Emily wasn't sure if Jason wanted that or not, she was just glad that she wasn't keeping her eyes on Steve or Bucky.

"Yes, my dears. Your sister almost killed their king, you know. Lycaon's off in a cave somewhere, no doubt licking his wounds, but his minions have joined us to take revenge for their master. And soon Porphyrion will arise, and we shall rule the world."

"Traitor! You meddlesome, D-list goddess! You aren't worthy to pour my wine, much less rule the world." There was many things that Emily disagreed with Hera, but this one of the few times that Emily agreed with Hera.

"Tiresome as ever, Queen Hera. I've been wanting to shut you up for millennia." Khione had waved her hand and ice encased the prison sealing the spaces between the earthen tendrils.

"That's better. Now, demigods, about your death—"

"You're the one who tricked Hera into coming here. You gave Zeus the idea of closing Olympus." The wolves snarled and the storm spirits whinnied, all of them were ready for an attack but Khione held her hand up.

"Patience, my loves. If he wants to talk, what matter? The sun is setting, and time is on our side. Of course, Jason Grace. Like snow, my voice is quiet and gentle, and very cold. It's easy for me to whisper to the other gods, especially when I am only confirming their own deepest fears. I also whispered in Aeolus's ear that he should issue an order to kill demigods. It is a small service for Gaea, but I'm sure I will be well rewarded when her sons the giants come to power."

"You could've killed us in Quebec. Why let us live?" Emily looked at Jason in surprise, she didn't expect Jason to go to Quebec, she expected them to see Bucky's father Or someone other than the god of the north wind.

"Messy business, killing you in my father's house, especially when he insists on meeting all visitors. I did try, you remember. It would've been lovely if he'd agreed to turn you to ice. But once he'd given you guarantee of safe passage, I couldn't openly disobey him. My father is an old fool. He lives in fear of Zeus and Aeolus, but he's still powerful. Soon enough, when my new masters have awakened, I will depose Boreas and take the throne of the North Wind, but not just yet. Besides, my father did have a point. Your quest was suicidal. I fully expected you to fail."

"And to help us with that, you knocked our dragon out of the sky over Detroit. Those frozen wires in his head—that was your fault. You're gonna pay for that."

"You're also the one who kept Enceladus informed about us. We've been plagued by snowstorms the whole trip." Khione smiled at Jason, Emily was surprised that Khione hadn't noticed or said anything to Emily, Steve or Bucky. But it was not a surprise that the three of them hadn't said anything.

"Yes, I feel so close to all of you now! Once you made it past Omaha, I decided to asked Lycaon to track you down so Jason could die here, at the Wolf House. You see, Jason, your blood spilled on this sacred ground will taint it for generations. Your demigod brethren will be outraged, especially when they find the bodies of these two from Camp Half-Blood. They'll believe the Greeks have conspired with giants. It will be … delicious." Emily looked at all of them, it was clear that Steve, Piper and Leo didn't understand of what Khione meant, but Jason, Bucky and Emily understood what she was talking about.

"You'll set demigods against demigods."

"It's so easy!'As I told you, I only encourage what you would do anyway."

"But why? Khione, you'll tear the world apart. The giants will destroy everything. You don't want that. Call off your monsters." Khione hesitated and an laughed,

"Your persuasive powers are improving, girl. But I am a goddess. You can't charm-speak me. We wind gods are creatures of chaos! I'll overthrow Aeolus and let the storms run free. If we destroy the mortal world, all the better! They never honored me, even in Greek times. Humans and their talk of global warming. Pah! I'll cool them down quickly enough. When we retake the ancient places, I will cover the Acropolis in snow."

"The ancient places. That's what Enceladus meant about destroy the roots of the gods. He meant Greece."

"You could join me, son of Hephaestus, I know you find me beautiful. It would be enough for my plan if these other two were to die. Reject that ridiculous destiny the Fates have given you. Live and be my champion, instead. Your skills would be quite useful." Emily looked at Leo when Khione said that, he looked stunned, he glanced behind him as to make sure Khione wasn't talking to someone else. Emily was worried and thought Leo might accept her offer but than the words of Hestia rang in her mind. Words that Hestia told her shortly after making Emily her champion and Emily remembered thinking of why Hestia told her this since it was obvious, but Emily figure she must have seen this day coming.

'Emily, now that your a fire user, you must remember that ice and fire don't mix.' Emily was about ready to open her mouth to say something but she was stopped short by what Leo did. Leo laughed, he was laughing so hard that he double over, after a minute that he gained enough control that he looked at Khione and spoke.

"Yeah, join you. Right. Until you get bored of me and turn me into a Leosicle? Lady, nobody messes with my dragon and gets away with it. I can't believe I thought you were hot." Emily looked over at Steve when Leo had said Leosicle, Steve was shaking his head in disbelief than he looked at her and mouth, is he related to Tony. Emily shook her head when Steve mouthed that, Emily would have known by now if Tony had some godly connections, not only that but if he was a legacy or a demigod he wouldn't have fallen asleep. For put a sleeping spell on a legacy can be as difficult and powerful as putting one on a demigod. Emily looked back at Khione and her face had turned red.

"Hot? You dare insult me? I am cold, Leo Valdez. Very, very cold." Emily wasn't at all surprised that Khione considered that as an insult, she was the goddess of snow. She shot a blast of wintry sleet at them, Emily was about ready to send fire at it but Leo had beat her to it. Leo had raised his hand and a wall of fire had roared to life in front of them, Emily raised her eyebrow. After about three days that Leo was able to do this of which was surprising. She could tell hat Leo's power over fire was strong but it was no where near her level of control and how strong and powerful it was. The snow had dissolved into a steamy cloud, Leo was grinning the grin that he had was similar to Hermes or his children. It was a bit weird to know Leo was a son of Hephaestus but looked like and acted like a son of Hermes.

"See, lady, that's what happens to snow in Texas. It—freaking—melts." Khione hissed when Leo said that.

"Enough of this. Hera is failing. Porphyrion is rising. Kill the demigods. Let them be our king's first meal!" The monsters had charged at them, Leo was about ready to start fighting with Khione when she throw an ice dagger at Leo. But Emily had jumped in front of him and throw a flame dagger at the ice dagger and the ice dagger had melted when the fire dagger hit it. Leo looked at her in surprise as well as Khione, Emily had let go of her sword and it went back to being a poppy. She spoke as the poppy return to it's normals state.

"I will take care of her, you fight with the monsters and make sure no one is turned into ice." Leo was about ready to argue but the death glare she gave him that he joined in the fighting with everyone else. Emily could see Jason using her sword while Steve kept using his sword and knocking the monsters to their feet. A few of them were knocked into Bucky's sword and they turned into gold dust covering Bucky gold dust. Khione smiled as she looked at Emily, as she realized who Emily was.

"Well isn't it Lieutenant USA, daughter of Demeter and champion of Hestia I see. I would never thought that I would see the day that Hestia would have a champion. Let's see what you are made of." Khione had summoned ice daggers, she felt blasts of winter air and there snow tornadoes. Emily rolled her blue bracelet up and her old lieutenant America uniform had appeared and covered her. Emily had lit herself up, two infernos appeared besides Emily, Emily could see the worry in Khione's eyes.

"I am ready for it." She started throwing ice daggers at Emily but Emily used the fire to melt them and she walked forward as she did so making the infernos walking along with her. Out of the corner of her eyes that she could see Leo throwing fire or using his two hammers, Steve and Bucky were fighting side by side knocking monsters out of the way or killing them depending on which one the monster jumped towards. Piper was almost glow with beauty of which Emily found odd but the Earthborn were so distract with her beauty that she charged them and they hadn't realized what she was doing till it was too late. Jason was on a storm spirit and charging around the room cutting down monsters with her sword. With Leo's fire and her fire were the cause of the whole courtyard heating up countering Khione's winter magic like Emily expected it to. Emily had noticed that Leo had set himself on fire as well, so that Emily and Leo looked more like walking flames than demigods.

Emily knew that Leo and herself were among the reasons of why no one was frozen like the hunters. She knew Bucky had control over fire but the fire and that his presence allow was another reason of why no one froze yet. but he rarely used the fire even though fire was one of his more powerful powers since his father was the god of summer as well as the south wind. As Emily stepped closer to Thalia and Lauren that they started to defrost a little, as Emily walked forward, and send a blast of fire at an monster when they jumped at her, that Khione was slowly backing away from her. Her expression changed as the fight went on, first it was enraged than to shocked and now it was slightly panicked as Emily drew closer to her. When Emily reached Khione at the fighting had stopped around her and she knew that meant that all of the monsters were killed.

"You're too late, He's awake! And don't think you've won anything here, demigods. Hera's plan will never work. You'll be at each other's throats before you can ever stop us." Emily made two balls of fire appear above her hands and threw the balls at Khione. But she turned into snow and her balls slammed into the show woman breaking it into a steaming mound of mush.

"Nice horse." Emily turned and looked at the horse Jason was on, it seemed that it was under his control now. The horse reared on his hind legs. Than here was a cracking sound from Hera's cage. Emily looked at the cage as the melting ice started to fall from the cage that Hers was in.

"Oh, don't mind me! Just the queen of the heavens, dying over here!" Jason had dismounted and told the horse to stay put, than the six of them jumped into the pool and ran to the spire.

"Uh, Tía Callida, are you getting shorter?"

"No, you dolt! The earth is claiming me. Hurry!" Emily saw hers was sinking into the earth, the dirt looked like water. "The giant wakes! You only have seconds!"

"On it. Piper, I need your help. Talk to the cage."

"What?"

"Talk to it. Use everything you've got. Convince Gaea to sleep. Lull her into a daze. Just slow her down, try to get the tendrils to loosen while I—"

"Right! Hey, Gaea. Nice night, huh? Boy, I'm tired. How about you? Ready for some sleep?" Emily smiled as Piper spoke, he more she spoke the more confident she sounded. She was putting almost everyone to sleep, Emily had to snap Steve and Bucky out of it. Leo had pulled out a circular saw out of his tool belt and it had a cord on it.

"I don't have anywhere to plug it in!" The spirit horse had jumped into the pit and whined. Bucky backed up, he looked surprise but Emily smiled and laughed before she spoke.

"I forget to mention since you ever ran into a storm spirit before that you most likely understand them provided they are a horse instead of a man." Bucky raised an eyebrow when Emily said that. "You can also control them too but Jason has control over that one though since they also have some wind power." Bucky nodded when she whispered that to him. Than Jason spoke.

"Really?" The horse dipped his head and trotted over to Leo, he looked doubtful but held the plug none the less. A breeze whisked it into the horse's flank, lighting sparked connecting the plug and the circular saw whirred to life.

"Sweet! Your horse comes with AC outlets!" All the sudden there a sound like a tree snapping in half as the giants a spire crumbled. It's lite sheath of tendrils exploded from too to bottom, stone and wood shard rained on them as the giant shook himself free and climbed out of the earth. Emily heard Steve and Bucky gasp, Emily stepped back as she looked at Porphyrion. She never seen one of the giants, from the giant war, before. Porphyrion was taller than she thought he would be, he had a kind of strength that it seemed like he had his own gravitational field. Porphyrion was humanoid from the waist up clad in bronze armor. From the waist down that h had scaly dragon legs but jussi skin was the color of lima beans. His hair was as green as summer leaves, braided in his hair was different weapons that were most likely from demigods in the past. When he opened his eyes that they were blank white like polished. Arable.

"Alive! Praise to Gaea!" Emily heard the whimpering sound that had come from Jason, Emily didn't say anything.

"Leo."

"Huh?"

"You guys keep working. Get Hera free!"

"What are you going to do? You can't seriously—"

"Entertain a giant? I've got no choice." Steve and Bucky were about ready to follow Jason but Emily put hands on their arms and they looked at her as Jason approached the Giant.

"He needs to do this himself. This is his quest, not ours." He giant roared as Jason approached him.

"Excellent! An appetizer! Who are you—Hermes? Ares?" Emily wondered of how Jason would respond to that, she almost expected him to say me was a son of ares or any other god but his own father. But when Jason spoke that Emily was surprised.

"I'm Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter." Emily didn't move, she just watched. Than Porphyrion had threw his head back and laughed before looking up at the cloudy night air.

"Outstanding! So, Zeus, you sacrifice a son to me? The gesture is appreciated, but it will not save you." The sky didn't rumble, Emily knew that meant no help from his father. Jason gripped her sword tighter before he spoke.

"If you knew who I was,myou'd be worried about me, not my father. I hope you enjoyed your two and a half minutes of rebirth, giant, because I'm going to send you right back to Tartarus." Porphyrion had planted one foot outside of the pool and crouched to get a better look at Jason.

"So … we'll start by boasting, will we? Just like old times! Very well, demigod. I am Porphryion, king of the giants, son of Gaea. In olden times, I rose from Tatarus, the abyss of my father, to challenge the gods. To start the war, I stole Zeus's queen. Hello, Hera."

"My husband destroyed you once, monster! He'll do it again!"

"But he didn't, my dear! Zeus wasn't powerful enough to kill me. He had to rely on a puny demigod to help, and even then, we almost won. This time, we will complete what we started. Gaea is waking. She has provisioned us with many fine servants. Our armies will shake the earth—and we will destroy you at the roots."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, yes. The Titans sought to attack your new home in New York. Bold, but ineffective. Gaea is wiser and more patient. And we, her greatest children, are much, much stronger than Kronos. We know how to kill you Olympians once and for all. You must be dug up completely like rotten trees—your eldest roots torn out and burned." The giant had looked at Leo and Piper before he had looked at Emily, Steve and Bucky. He looked he was about ready to say something but Jason spoke.

"You said a demigod killed you. How, if we're so puny?" That got Porphyrion's attention back on Jason.

"Ha! You think I would explain it to you? I was created to be Zeus's replacement, born to destroy the lord of the sky. I shall take his throne. I shall take his wife—or, if she will not have me, I will let the earth consume her life force. What you see before you, child, is only my weakened form. I will grow stronger by the hour, until I am invincible. But I am already quite capable of smashing you to a grease spot!" He rose to his full height and held out his hand, a twenty foot spear shot from the earth. He grasped it and stomped the ground and the monsters started to regathering answering his call, as the monsters gathered that Bucky spoke.

"This makes World War II look like a game."

"No kidding."

"Great. We needed more enemies."

"Hurry."

"I know!"

"Go to sleep, cage, Nice, sleepy cage. Yes, I'm talking to a bunch of earthen tendrils. This isn't weird at all." Porphyrion risked his spear across the top of the ruins destroying a chimney and spraying wood and stone across the courtyard.

"So, child of Zeus! I have finished my boasting. Now it's your turn. What were you saying about destroying me?" Emily looked at Jason, wondering what he was going to do now.

"I'm the son of Jupiter!" As Jason said that, that she felt the winds around her and he rose a few feet off the ground. "I'm a child of Rome, consul to demigods, praetor of the First Legion." Emily smiled when Jason said that, he remembered the legion but didn't remember the name though. But she knows he wanted the legion to be called the first legion as a new start for Rome. He held out his arm that had the tattoo, Emily could see that Porphyrion recognize it and he looked uneasy about it. "I slew the Trojan sea monster, I toppled the black throne of Kronos, and destroyed the Titan Krios with my own hands. And now I'm going to destroy you, Porphyrion, and feed you to your own wolves."

"Wow, dude, You been eating red meat?" Emily smiled, jason might be a roman that acted more like a Greek, but he knew how to boast and how to scare any enemy but boasting the right things. Even if his memories were still not fully there of yet, Jason had laughed himself at the giant. Jason had managed to land on the giant's knee and climbed up his arm before Porphyrion could reactor realized what happen

"You dare?"

"For Rome!" Jason drove her sword into his ear. Lightning streaked out of the sky and blasted the sword throwing Jason and the sword free. The sword landed in front of Emily, Jason and rolled when he hit the ground, the gin at was staggering, his hair was in fire. Half of his face was blackened from the lightning, golden ichor ran down his jaw. Porphyrion almost fell, the monsters growled and started towards Jason but Porphyrion spoke,

"No! I will kill him myself. You want to play with lightning, boy? You forget. I am the bane of Zeus. I was created to destroy your father, which means I know exactly what will kill you." Emily hoped and prayed that something will happen. Than Leo had yelled.

"Got it!"

"Sleep!" When Piper had said that, that the nearest wolves fell to the ground snoring, the stone and wood cage crumbled. The tendril turned to dust and the mud around Hera had disintegrated, she grew in size glow with power.

"Yes!" She had throw off her black robes to reveal of what she looked like normally. She was we weighs white gown, her arms were bedecked with golden jewelry and a golden crown glowed in her hair. Looking at Hera's face told Emily of what she was going to do. "Now I shall have my revenge!" Porphyrion had backed away and said nothing, he gave Jason one last look of hatred before he slammed his spear against the earth and he disappeared into the ground. The monsters started to panic and retreat. Hera glow brighter, Steve, Bucky and Emily closed their eyes as well as everyone else as Hera spoke. "Cover your eyes, my heroes!" When the light died down that Emily opened her eyes and gasp as she saw Jason laying there died. There was no life aura in him, Piper had ran over to him as the hunters started to get up.

"JASON!" Piper kept shouting his name for the next couple of minutes, his body was steaming and his eyes were rolled back into his head.

"It's no use, child." Hera was back in her robes and shawl, Emily wasn't sure if she liked the black robes or not.

"This is your fault. Do something!"

"Do not address me that way, girl. I am the queen—"

"Fix him!"

"I did warn him. I would never intentionally hurt the boy. He was to be my champion. I told them to close their eyes before I revealed my true form."

"Um … True form is bad, right? So why did you do it?"

"I unleashed my power to help you, fool! I became pure energy so I could disintegrate the monsters, restore this place, and even save these miserable Hunters from the ice."

"But mortals can't look upon you in that form! You've killed him!"

"That's what our prophecy meant. Death unleash, through Hera's rage. Come on, lady. You're a goddess. Do some voodoo magic on him! Bring him back." Emily looked away form Hera, Thalia, and Leo as they spoke for the life aura in Jason started to come back. Piper must have notice Jason's breathing or something.

"He's breathing!"

"Impossible,I wish it were true, child, but no mortal has ever—"

"Jason, Listen to me. You can do this. Come back. You're going to be fine." Emily had ran over to Jason and placed her hand on his forehead as hers spoke.

"Healing is not a power of Aphrodite, Even I cannot fix this, girl. His mortal spirit—" as hers spoke that Emily poured hope into Jason and pour hope down below hoping that Jason would hear Piper. Before Hera could finish that Piper had spoke once more.

"Jason, Wake up." Jason had gasped and his eyes flew open, for a moment they were full of light glowing pure gold. When the light faded that his eyes were normal, Emily had removed her hand from his forehead.

"What—what happened?"

"Impossible!" Emily stood up and went back over to Steve, Bucky and Lauren. Lauren was hugging Steve for dear life. Bucky had wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as well, emily could hear Jason tasking.

"Crushing me."

"Sorry." Emily looked back at Jason, Thalia and Piper as Thalia gripped Jason's hand.

"How do you feel?"

"Hot. Mouth is dry. And I saw something… really terrible."

"That was Hera. Her Majesty, the Loose Cannon."

"That's it, Thalia Grace, I will turn you into an aardvark, so help me—"

"Stop it, you two." Both Thalia and Hera had stopped at once. Piper helped Jason to his feet and gave him some nectar before she faced Hera and Thalia.

"Now … Hera—Your Majesty—we couldn't have rescued you without the Hunters. And Thalia, you never would've seen Jason again—I wouldn't have met him—if it weren't for Hera. You two make nice, because we've got bigger problems." Hera and Thalia glared at her, than Thalia grunted.

"You've got spirit, Piper." Thalia pulled a silver card from her parka and tucked it into the pocket of Piper's snowboarding jacket. "You ever want to be a Hunter, call me. We could use you." Hera crossed her arms

"Fortunately for this Hunter, you have a point, daughter of Aphrodite. You wondered, Piper, why I chose you for this quest, why I didn't reveal your secret in the beginning, even when I knew Enceladus was using you. I must admit, until this moment I was not sure. Something told me you would be vital to the quest. Now I see I was right. You're even stronger than I realized. And you are correct about the dangers to come. We must work together."

"Yeah,mI don't suppose that Porphyrion guy just melted and died, huh?"

"No. By saving me, and saving this place, you prevented Gaea from waking. You have bought us some time. But Porphyrion has risen. He simply knew better than to stay here, especially since he has not yet regained his full power. Giants can only be killed by a combination of god and demigod, working together. Once you freed me—"

"He ran away. But to where?"

Hera didn't answer, but a sense of dread washed over Piper. She remembered what Porphyrion had said about killing the Olympians by pulling up their roots. Greece. She looked at Thalia's grim expression, and guessed the Hunter had come to the same conclusion.

"I need to find Annabeth. She has to know what's happened here."

"Thalia … We never got to talk about this place, or—"

"I know. I lost you here once. I don't want to leave you again. But we'll meet soon. I'll rendezvous with you back at Camp Half-Blood. You'll see them there safely? It's the least you can do."

"It's not your place to tell me—"

"Queen Hera,"

"Fine. Yes. Just off with you, Hunter!" Thalia had gave Jason a hug as well as Emily and Lauren before saying goodbye. When the hunters were gone that everything was strangely quiet there was no sign of what took place at the wolf house that night. The night sky as clear and starry, the wind rustled in the redwoods, Emily leaned against Bucky happy that for the time being that they had a break from this. Emily could still feel the earth stirring but it wasn't like it was earlier that day, even an hour ago.

"Jason, what happened to you here? I mean—I know your mom abandoned you here. But you said it was sacred ground for demigods. Why? What happened after you were on your own?"

"It's still murky. The wolves …"

"You were given a destiny. You were given into my service."

"Because you forced my mom to do that. You couldn't stand knowing Zeus had two children with my mom. Knowing that he'd fallen for her twice. I was the price you demanded for leaving the rest of my family alone. "

"It was the right choice for you as well, Jason, The second time your mother managed to snare Zeus's affections, it was because she imagined him in a different aspect—the aspect of Jupiter. Never before had this happened—two children, Greek and Roman, born into the same family. You had to be separated from Thalia. This is where all demigods of your kind start their journey."

"Of his kind?"

"She means Roman. Demigods are left here. We meet the she-wolf goddess, Lupa, the same immortal wolf that raised Romulus and Remus."

"And if you are strong enough, you live."

"But … What happened after that? I mean, Jason never made it to camp."

"Not to Camp Half-Blood, no."

"You went somewhere else. That's where you've been all these years. Somewhere else for demigods—but where?"

"The memories are coming back, but not the location. You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"No. That is part of your destiny, Jason. You must find your own way back. But when you do … you will unite two great powers. You will give us hope against the giants, and more importantly—against Gaea herself." Jason and looked over at Emily, Emily looked over at Jason before he spoke once more.

"But you know where it is though."

"Of course, but I have swore under the river Styx not to speak of it or even tell you of the location. When I found one of your kind that I can't tell them where the camp is, I haut lead them here if they run away or rescue them depending on what has happen in their lives. I am sorry I can't tell you, otherwise I would. Though Hera and I don't always agree, even if I am not a rush hater of Zeus, she has. A point here Jason, you have to find your own way back. The only other expedition is if I am given permission to tell you anyone of what I swore on the river Styx." Jason nodded when Emily said that, Jason knows her well enough to know that she couldn't tell him everything even if she wanted to tell him than what she could. Than he looked back at Hera.

"You want us to help you, but you're holding back information."

"Giving you answers would make those answers invalid. That is the way of the Fates. You must forge your own path for it to mean anything. Already, you three have surprised me. I would not have thought it possible … Suffice to say, you have performed well, demigods. But this is only the beginning. Now you must return to Camp Half-Blood, where you will begin planning for the next phase."

"Which you won't tell us about. And I suppose you destroyed my nice storm spirit horse, so we'll have to walk home?"

"Storm spirits are creatures of chaos. I did not destroy that one, though I have no idea where he went, or whether you'll see him again. But there is an easier way home for you. As you have done me a great service, so I can help you—at least this once. Farewell, demigods, for now." Light surrounded Jason, Piper, and Leo and they vanished. Than Hera had looked over at Emily, Emily pulled away from Bucky and walked over to Hera. "Emily, I need to ask you of something."

"Depending on what it is, I may do it. But I can't promise if I will do it willingly or not."

"You will be willingly to do this. I need you to go to Camp Jupiter." Emily risked an eyebrow when Hera had said that.

"I don't need to go there, not now at any rate. Not till Hestia needs me to go there. Nico had took over my old ambassador duties."

"True, before I had come down here that Hestia had ask me to tell you to go to Camp Jupiter when I got down here when I went looking around here."

"Why didn't you say that in that vision at the big house than?"

"Jason was there and you know he had no memories than."

"Why does Hestia want me to go to Camp Jupiter?"

"For two reasons, one because she wanted to make One of your jobs officially and two there is a traitor in e ranks of the Romans and you must take care of him." Emily was surprised slightly by this, she knew what hers was talking about and she figured of which roman was the traitor.

"All right, but the traitor, is he the one that has been blackmailing my half sister?" Hera nodded when Emily had said that. "I will do it only if you take Bucky, Steve and Lauren back to the avenger tower and allow Bucky to explain fully about the Greeks and Romans."

"All right fine. You better get going." Hera waved her hand and Steve, Lauren and Bucky disappeared along with Hera and Emily ran into a shadow to go to Camp Jupiter.


	6. Chapter 6

Bucky's pov

The last three days was one of the longest times he had, even from his time in World War II, even after he had become the winter soldier. He knew that there was a lot more to being a demigod than rescuing demigods, training and fighting monsters. But nothing could prepare him for what happened in the last three days and if Emily had to deal stuff like this in world War II and before, he wondered of how she even made it though. Emily had told him being a demigod was dangerous and as well as telling him a few things about the two groups of demigods after he learned about the Romans. But he had no idea till entering the wolf house and feel the cursed land that he realize that there was much more to begin a demigod than what he thought. It seemed that thought crossed Steve's mind as well, Steve still hadn't learned of use his powers fully. He had some control over the plants but it was nothing compared to Emily of who had using her powers over plants form over seventy years. Besides Steve was more comfortable with fighting with the shield than anything else.

Bucky had got use to the bow and arrows as well as the sword quite easily enough, thanks to Emily and the blessing of Apollo. When the one giants had come form the Seth and disappeared into the earth that Bucky couldn't believe he want to help Jason but Emily had stopped him. Bucky had watched and listen to Jason and he couldn't believe what he was hearing, besides the one time at the cabin that Bucky never saw Jason before. That was when Bucky learned about the roman demigods and that was before the demigod battle of Manhattan. He wasn't present during the avenger battle of Manhattan, for he was still the winter soldier and Emily was his only memory during that time form his old life. When Emily had manage to get Hera to send Bucky, Steve and Lauren to the avenger tower that he felt like he was going to brow up when he disappeared and appeared on he dinning table in the avenger tower.

When Bucky had got down that he throw up in the sink as well as Steve, Lauren looked ill but she didn't grow up though. Bucky wished that Emily had shadow travel them here instead, when Bucky and Steve stopped throwing up that Bucky had explained everything he could of what happened about the Romans. When Bucky finished that no one had spoke, one could hear a pin drop form the silence. Bucky could tell that they either confused or puzzled, Bucky was surprised to see the shocked look on Lauren's face. He knows she had been frozen in time or was an HYDRA weapon in the last sixty seven years. Bucky thought she would have learned about the Romans by now, but it seemed that she hadn't heard about the Romans quite yet. Than Lauren and spoke.

"How did you know about the Romans?"

"Jason, the blond hair male, and two girls had we treed the forest that Emily's cabin is in and Emily went to get them. I believed she knew that they were Romans or she had a hunch since she told me to stay there. When she had come back with them that she explained to me about the two groups and why they were kept away from each other."

"So are you saying that there is a chance to a demigod war with Hera's gamble of switching Percy and Jason?"

"Exactly." None of them looked to thrilled when Bucky had said that.

Emily's pov

Before leaving the wolf house that Emily had picked up her sword and put it on her belt and Emily ran out from a shadow on Temple hill, she snapped her fingers before leaking out of Vesta's temple and slowly made her way down to the main building in a Camp Jupiter. As she walked down temple hill that she pulled off her green bracelet and blue bracelet, her blue bracelet had since went back to being a bracelet after her encounter with Khione. Emily knew that Khione wasn't died but she wasn't sure of where Khione was now or what she was doing. When Emily entered the main building and into the praetor office that Reyna and Octavian had looked up when she entered. From the talking Emily heard before she entered that it was clear that they had been flaking about Jason. When Reyna saw Emily that she spoke.

"Ambassador Blackthrone, have you heard any news about Jason?" Emily had allowed them to keep calling her ambassador Blackthrone instead of Barnes since Emily was used to hear it. The Romans tried to use Barnes instead but it was too weird both Emily and the Romans, so they just used her fake last name. Emily looked at Reyna, she had watched Reyna and Jason for the last year since their last mission together. Reyna reminded Emily of Annabeth in so many ways that it was weird, but hey looked utterly different from each other. But she had noticed Reyna started acting different, after the last mission with Jason, around Jason. Emily figured that Reyna liked him, but Emily had a hard time reading Reyna but she could read Jason so much easier due to how Greek like he can be. Emily knew Jason and been leading her on but he only saw her as a friend and nothing more but Emily never had the heart to tell Reyna this. Not only that but she couldn't tell Reyna or any of the Romans of where Jason was now.

"The only news I have is that Jason is safe. I need to talk to you two." Emily had explained the bit about what Avesta wanted to do and make Emily officially the protector of the roman state and the home. After that, that they spend the rest of the night planning and setting up for the next morning for the ceremony. When the sun rose that all of the Romans gathered on the field of Mars in front of the stage that was made. Reyna had went on first before allowing Emily to go up, this she had called out for Vesta of who appeared before the Romans. All the Romans and knelt before her, even Emily, vesta appeared to be twenty and her brown hair was a regular brown color. But her eyes were still the same, red flames that look like a cozy home fire, she was wearing a brown roman style dress and her hair was up in a roman hairdo. Vesta had walked over to Emily and placed her hands on Emily's head and spoke in Latin.

"Rachel Blackthrone or better known as Emily Rogers Barnes, today I am giving you my biggest blessing and honor that any could be given. Today I am making you the protecter of the a roman state and the home, form this day forth that you will protect the Romans and it's people, from this day forward." As vesta spoke that Emily could feel the protection of New Rome to her, she felt warm as well. When Vesta lifted her hands that Emily looked up at Vesta before looking at the Romans of who gasp. Emily didn't understand till Vesta waved a hand and a mirror appeared in front of her, when Emily looked at the mirror that she was surprised somewhat. She still was in her daughter of Hades appearance but her eyes had a warm and fiery glow to them along with the mad gleam that was present. Not only that but she had an orange glow around her, Emily stood up as the mirror disappear and Vesta spoke.

"Romans, welcome your new protector of the roman state and the home." Vesta had disappeared in flames and Emily walked to the edge of the stage and looked at the Romans of who were still kneeling.

"As your new protector that I will say is, that I do not take kindly to those who think they can gain powers because they want it. Those position of powers is for those who should be worthy of it, not someone who is power hungry and don't know how to use the powers properly. I know a couple of you want to replace the open praetor seat and a couple of you are using blackmail." There was mutters at those words, Emily looked at each of the Romans as she paused before she went on. "Many of you know that I was the ambassador of Pluto before I handed to my younger brother and I took the mantle of ambassador of Vesta even though many of you thought I should reform the Vestal Virgin of which you knew I couldn't do and if I couldn't I wouldn't do it." Thins she heard Octavian tasking.

"Ambassador, it always been the way of the Romans to gain power." Emily looked at Octavian.

"I am aware of this, but this must change now." There was some more muttering. Emily raised her hands and everyone went silent. "I know we just got out of a war and there is a praetor missing, but there is something else more important than that. For another war is coming, it would be coming in the very most a year. The earth is stirring and waking and she must be put back to sleep. In order to do this that the last thing that is needed is for a power hungry roman to take the place of praetor, but that is not the only thing, there is a traitor that is present." There cries of outrage when Emily said that, than Octavian and manage to speak up.

"How do you know this?" Emily jumped off the stage and walked over to where Octavian was kneeling.

"I know this because Vestia had warned me before this ceremony and she wanted to take care of this traitor as soon as I become the protector of Rome and it's people. Even if the traitor wasn't a traitor I would have removed him form this place and let him wander without my protection and he would never be able to enter camp Jupiter ever again. But I intend to protect Rome and it's people, not only that but I am the princess of the underworld and I can pass judgement on the traitor here and now. Alecto!" Alecto appeared behind Octavian of who jumped up in surprise, Emily walked up to Octavian and cut off the sleeve of his shirt and revealed two marks on his skin, one was the earth itself and one was the Scythe. The Romans gasp and backed away from Octavian, Emily had out her sword against his throat and looked at him. Due to her powers over home and the powers she jut gain that she knew who he had been blackmailing and why.

"Octavian, you are deemed a traitor to Rome and it's have placed even more danger in Rome of where they shouldn't been. You have blackmailed Hazel and Jennifer by revealing into that doesn't concern you or anyone else expect to those they wish to know about." Emily looked around giving them all the Romans a death glare and they all backed away some more. Emily looked back at Octavian. "You know that if anyone blackmails or threaten any of my siblings that they would pay dearly for it. From this day forward you will be taken to he field of punishment of where Alecto would tear you to shreds in he most painfully way possible while you are tied down. Than you will come back alive and it will be repeated for the rest of your normal life span till you die of old age. When you die of old age that you will be chained to a cliff and hang there over black hellfire and there you remain till Alecto, one of her sisters or myself will decide to let you fall into those flames. Once you will do that you forever been in those flames. Alecto, take him down below for treason and treachery against Rome and the gods." Alecto had smiled.

"With pleasure, my princess." Alecto grabbed his arm and they disappeared in shadows, Emily looked at the Romans who looked fearfully at her and she spoke.

"Remember this days, Romans. Of what I had told you, this no game to play and there is room for blackmailers or ones that are power hungry we are entering a time of war and you need to make sure you are ready for it. For you will need to in order to make sure that the earth goddess is defeat."

Emily walked backwards into a wall nearby and used the shadows to disappear. Emily had walked out of the shadows into the mani level of the singer tower so she could fix breakfast. She needed something to keep her mind off of what happened, when she stepped out that she noticed that Steve, Tony, Natasha, Clint, Bruce, Thor, Lauren and Bucky were sleeping in the chairs and couches. Almost all of them were still asleep but Bruce was wide awake though and it seemed that he had been awake for a while. It was apparent that they had been waiting for her to come back to the tower, Emily walked to the kitchen as she swish her sword and out the necklace around her neck. Bruce had stood up and followed her to the kitchen.

"Where have you been? Bucky did tell us something about something becoming official in this Camp Jupiter."

"As ambassador of Vesta, or Hesta, I am sort of a protector of the roman state and the home. For Vesta is the stern guardian of the roman state and the home. She made it official today that I am the protector of the roman state and the home. I protect the Romans and I take care of any Romans that are traitors and I already took care of one this morning." Emily had started cooking as she spoke, she could see that Bruce seem taken back.

"You mean you killed him. That doesn't seem like you."

"He is sort of dead. I gave him a punishment to fit all the crimes he has done." Emily looked up from the pan that had eggs in it and Bruce was about ready to say something but Emily spoke. "Don't ask me what kind of punishment, for you don't want to know."

"Is bad as Loki's punishment." Emily snorted when Bruce said that.

"You don't want to know Bruce. Do you mind if you help me?" Bruce had gladly help her with the cooking, it didn't take too long for the others to join. Steve and Bucky had joined in the cooking as well, Steve was pretty good at cooking of which wasn't much of a surprise. Since he is a son of Demeter. When the table was set that Emily had gave me a basic idea of what happen after Emily left the wolf house last night. She didn't tell them of what she did to Octavian, she just told them that she gave him a punishment st he deserves. No one questioned that, none of them knew what the field of punishments were like and she hoped that they never will know.

Emily had went to camp Halfblood by herself, Tony and the other avengers wanted to know what happened at the meeting there tonight. She told them that it would most likely be similar to the one they had for most of the day, brut they still wanted to know what was to be said there. She told them if there was anything new in the meeting she would tell them about it, there was a chance that they come up with an idea to get to Camp Jupiter. Emily wasn't sure what idea they might have though to get to Camp Jupiter than using vans or Pegasus. But the Pegasus were trying to find Percy at the moment of which wasn't a big surprise. The first place she went to was go to Cabin one of where Jason was staying. As Emily walked into the cabin that Jason was standing in front of Zeus' statue, looking at that statue always made Emily feel unnerved. Than Jason stated talking.

"I know you can hear me." The statue just stared down at Jason, Emily felt sorry for Jason, unlike with most other demigods, even the Romans, have meet their godly parent but Jason had never meet his father. "I wish I could talk with you in person but I understand you can't do that. The Roman gods don't like to interact with mortals so much, and—well, you're the king. You've got to set an example. I remember some things, I remember that it's hard being a son of Jupiter. Everyone is always looking at me to be a leader, but I always feel alone. I guess you feel the same way up on Olympus. The other gods challenge your decisions. Sometimes you've got to make hard choices, and the others criticize you. And you can't come to my aid like other gods might. You've got to keep me at a distance so it doesn't look like you're playing favorites. I guess I just wanted to say … I understand all that. It's okay. I'm going to try to do my best. I'll try to make you proud. But I could really use some guidance, Dad. If there's anything you can do—help me so I can help my friends. I'm afraid I'll get them killed. I don't know how to protect them." It seemed that Jason realized he was no longer alone and he turned around and faced Emily. Emily walked over to him and spoke as she did so.

"I am sure your father is looking out for you and your well being. He may not appeared to you but he had appeared to Thalia and Lauren and he always looked out for them even now. I am sure he does that with you as well, but I think he is unsure that he should appear before you." Jason nodded when Emily said that, Emily out her hand in his shoulder. "Jason, there is a small chance you may never meet or see your father but there is a small chance you may. I can't make no promise, but I am sure one of these days that you will be able to talk to him face to face even if it takes years." Jason had looked at her before he looked behind her. Emily had turned around, a woman stood there in black hooded robe with a goatskin cloak over her shoulders and a sheathed roman sword, a gladius, on her hands. It was Hera, actually in this case it was Juno.

"Hera." Juno pushed her hood back.

"To you, I have always been Juno. And your father has already sent you guidance, Jason. He sent you Piper and Leo. They're not just your responsibility. They are also your friends. Listen to them, and you will do well. However Hestia had sent Emily to help guide you back."

"Did Jupiter send you here to tell me that?"

"No one sends me anywhere, hero. I am not a messenger."

"But you got me into this. Why did you send me to this camp?"

"I think you know. An exchange of leaders was necessary. It was the only way to bridge to gap."

"I didn't agree to it."

"No. But Zeus gave your life to me, and I am helping you fulfill your destiny." Emily could tell that Jason was trying to control his anger, Emily wasn't happy about he exchange either, she didn't like being used. But she didn't want to see her family been torn apart by war again nor see them take two sides like before in the Titan war. He had looked down at his camp shirt and tattoos, it was a dangerous mix for a roman to be in a Greek camp. Even though Emily disagreed with Hera of her plan, Emily knew both camps would have to work together to stop Gaea. Like hey did in he Titan war, even though both camps were unaware that they had been working together at the time.

"You're not giving me all my memories. Even though you promised."

"Most will return in time. But you must find your own way back. You need these next months with your new friends, your new home. You're gaining their trust. By the time you sail in your ship, you will be a leader at this camp. And you will be ready to be a peacemaker between two great powers."

"What if you're not telling the truth? What if you're doing this to cause another civil war?"

"I am the goddess of family. My family has been divided for too long."

"They divided us so we don't kill each other. That seems like a pretty good reason."

"The prophecy demands that we change. The giants will rise. Each can only be killed by a god and demigod working together. Those demigods must be the seven greatest of the age. As it stands, they are divided between two places. If we remain divided, we cannot win. Gaea is counting on this. You must unite the heroes of Olympus and sail together to meet the giants on the ancient battlegrounds of Greece. Only then will the gods be convinced to join you. It will be the most dangerous quest, the most important voyage, ever attempted by the children of the gods." Jason had looked up at the statue of his father.

"It's not fair, I could ruin everything."

"You could. But gods need heroes. We always have."

"Even you? I thought you hated heroes."

"I have that reputation. But if you want the truth, Jason, I often envy other gods their mortal children. You demigods can span both worlds. I think this helps your godly parents—even Jupiter, curse him—to understand the mortal world better than I. I am the goddess of marriage, It is not in my nature to be faithless. I have only two godly children—Mars and Vulcan—both of whom are disappointments. I have no mortal heroes to do my bidding, which is why I am so often bitter toward demigods—Heracles, Aeneas, all of them. But it is also why I favored the first Jason, a pure mortal, who had no godly parent to guide him. And why I am glad Zeus gave you to me. You will be my champion, Jason. You will be the greatest of heroes, and bring unity to the demigods, and thus to Olympus." Emily was sure that Jason was scared and worried that he could do something wrong and so the wrong thing. Emily put her hand on Jason's shoulder and that relax him some.

"And if I fail?"

"Great victory requires great risk. Fail, and there will be bloodshed like we have never seen. Demigods will destroy one another. The giants will overrun Olympus. Gaea will wake, and the earth will shake off everything we have built over five millennia. It will be the end of us all."

"Great. Just great." Someone pounded on the doors. Juno put her hood back over her face and she handed Jason the gladius.

"Take this for the weapon you lost. We will speak again. Like it or not, Jason, I am your sponsor, and your link to Olympus. We need each other." Juno vanished and Piper walked in, she looked a little surprised to see Emily there but Piper knows that Emily was no threat on her claim to Jason since Emily was already married and Emily was quite a bit older than Jason, both by looks and her real age.

"Annabeth and Rachel are here, Chiron has summoned the council."

Emily walked into the room with Jason and Piper, she sat in the extra chair at the table. Clovis was there as well as Leo, Clarisse, Travis, butch and other counselors from other cabins. Including Miranda from the Demeter cabin, Emily smiled and nodded to her half sister, at the moment Katie was at school and couldn't come here. Rachel was sitting next to Chiron at the head of the table and she was wearing her Clarion academy school uniform dress. Emily had to admit that it looked odd to see Rachel in her school uniform after seeing her in shirt, jeans and tennis shoes covered with drawings and paint. Annabeth wasn't relaxed though when Emily saw her, she looked like she was battle ready.

"Let's come to Ellen, please give Miranda her nose back. Travis, if you'd kindly extinguish the flaming Ping-Pong ball, and Butch, I think twenty pencils is really too many for any human nostril. Thank you. Now, as you can see, Jason, Piper, and Leo have returned successfully… more or less. Some of you have heard parts of their story, but I will let them fill you in." Everyone looked at Jason of who told them the story with Piper and Leo filling in details, when Emily had come along in the story that she added in her own details. The story took a few minutes to tell, Jason ended with Hera's visit in the cabin.

"So Hera was here. Talking to you."

"Look, I'm not saying I trust her—"

"That's smart."

"—but she isn't making this up about another group of demigods. That's where I came from." Clarisse had tossed a sausage to Seymor.

"Romans. You expect us to believe there's another camp with demigods, but they follow the Roman forms of the gods. And we've never even heard of them."

"The gods have kept the two groups apart, because every time they see each other, they try to kill each other.

"I can respect that. Still, why haven't we ever run across each other on quests?"

"Oh, yes. You have, many times. It's always a tragedy, and always the gods do their best to wipe clean the memories of those involved. The rivalry goes all the way back to the Trojan War, Clarisse. The Greeks invaded Troy and burned it to the ground. The Trojan hero Aeneas escaped, and eventually made his way to Italy, where he founded the race that would someday become Rome. The Romans grew more and more powerful, worshipping the same gods but under different names, and with slightly different personalities."

"More warlike. More united. More about expansion, conquest, and discipline."

"Yuck." Many of the counselors looked just as uncomfortable as that, Clarisse merely shrugged it off like it wounded all right with her of which wasn't a big surprise to Emily. Annabeth twirled her knife on the table.

"And the Romans hated the Greeks. They took revenge when they conquered the Greek isles, and made them part of the Roman Empire."

"Not exactly hated them. The Romans admired Greek culture, and were a little jealous. In return, the Greeks thought the Romans were barbarians, but they respected their military power. So during Roman times, demigods started to divide—either Greek or Roman."

"And it's been that way ever since. But this is crazy. Chiron, where were the Romans during the Titan War? Didn't they want to help?" Before Chiron could say anything that Emily had spoke.

"They did help, Annabeth. While the Greeks, myself included, were leading the battle in Manhattan that the Romans conquered amount Othrys, the titan's base in California. Because of the two groups not knowing about each other that we said that it just crumbled when we best Kronos."

"Hold on, You mean that Mount Othrys didn't just crumbled when we beat Kronos."

"No, It didn't just fall. We destroyed their palace. I defeated the Titan Krios myself." Annabe's eyes were stormy, her eyes showed to how fast she was thinking.

"The Bay Area. We demigods were always told to stay away from it because Mount Othrys was there. But that wasn't the only reason, was it? The Roman camp—it's got to be somewhere near San Francisco. I bet it was put there to keep watch on the Titans' territory. Where is it?"

"I cannot say. Honestly, even I have never been trusted with that information. My counterpart, Lupa, is not exactly the sharing type. Jason's memory, too, has been burned away."

"The camp's heavily veiled with magic. And heavily guarded. We could search for years and never find it." Jason looked at Emily.

"You know where it is though, ambassador?" When he said that, that Emily slapped him on the back of the head.

"Here it is Ghost girl or Emily, praetor. But yes I know where it is. I have to, you dit." Chiron smiled slightly when Emily said that. "But like Hera said you have to find your own way back." Rachel, the only other one that wasn't nervous besides Emily, spoke up

"But you'll try, won't you? You'll build Leo's boat, the Argo II. And before you make for Greece, you'll sail for the Roman camp. You'll need their help to confront the giants."

"Bad plan, If those Romans see a warship coming, they'll assume we're attacking."

"You're probably right. But we have to try. I was sent here to learn about Camp Half-Blood, to try to convince you the two camps don't have to be enemies. A peace offering."

"Hmm. Because Hera is convinced we need both camps to win the war with the giants. Seven heroes of Olympus—some Greek, some Roman."

"I believe that is what it means, when you brought Jason, that thought crossed my mind." Annabeth looked at Emily.

"Hiw long have you know about the Romans?"

"Sixty seven years. I never said anything because the timing is not right. Besides demigods need to find their fate without looking to the gods for help. Sometimes we have to keep things to protect our families. Even if none of them like doing it." Annabeth looked at with thoughts across her stormy eyes

"I know well enough you well enough to know that you wanted to protect us." Emily nodded than Annabeth looked at Rachel. "Your Great Prophecy—what's the last line?"

"And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."

"Gaea has opened the Doors of Death. She's letting out the worst villains of the Underworld to fight us. Medea, Midas—there'll be more, I'm sure. Maybe the line means that the Roman and Greek demigods will unite, and find the doors, and close them."

"Or it could mean they fight each other at the doors of death. It doesn't say we'll cooperate." There was silence that followed that statement.

"I'm going. Jason, when you get this ship built, let me go with you."

"I was hoping you'd offer. You of all people —we'll need you."

"Wait. I mean that's cool with me and all. But why Annabeth of all people?" Emily knew that Jason and Annabeth had figured out the truth of what happened to Percy. That was something Emily knew since she saw Jason coming from the lake.

"Hera said my coming here was an exchange of leaders. A way for the two camps to learn of each other's existence."

"Yeah? So?"

"An exchange goes two ways. When I got here, my memory was wiped. I didn't know who I was or where I belonged. Fortunately, you guys took me in and I found a new home. I know you're not my enemy. The Roman camp—they're not so friendly. You prove your worth quickly, or you don't survive. They may not be so nice to him, and if they learn where he comes from, he's going to be in serious trouble."

"Him? Who are you talking about?"

"My boyfriend, He disappeared around the same time Jason appeared. If Jason came to Camp Half-Blood—"

"Exactly. Percy Jackson is at the other camp, and he probably doesn't even remember who he is." After a few more hours that the meeting ended and Emily had went back to the avenger tower. Bucky was laying on the bed fast asleep, when Emily had climbed into the bed that he shifted onto his back. Emily had put one arm over his chest and placed her head on his chest before falling asleep listening to Bucky's heart.


	7. Chapter 7

At a time like this that she wished that she could go back to the days of when it was just her, Steve and Bucky playing games in the backyard. There was no mistake that not everything goes as planned, she learned the hard way at six. But back at the age of six, she didn't have to deal with the demigod life or not yet unlike with most demigods now a days. Emily was currently in the avenger tower laying her bed, Steve and Bucky had went around doing whatever. Bruce and Tony were in the lab, Thor was who knows where, Clint and Natasha were helping Phil rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. Lauren was giving a mission by Apollo, along with the rest of the howling commandos to try to make sure Gaea remains asleep.

Apollo had told this to Lauren in a short dream that he had, apparently Zeus was close of finding him when he used the dream. Usually Emily would be doing something, either for the camps, Hestia or Hades. But she had nothing to do that day, in a way she was glad for she too much to do in the last week and she needed a break from it. However the problem with this was her ADHD, most demigods have it, Emily was having a hard time just sitting or laying around at the moment because of it. After a while Emily had got up and started to practice with her weapons, she would practice with her powers as well. After a hour that J.A.R.V.I.S. had come online.

"Miss Barnes, your half brother is coming." Emily sighed and let go of her sword and it turned back into a poppy. As Emily entered the main area for her level that Phil had stepped out of the elevator.

"Phil, why are you here? No one else is here besides me."

"I know that but I wanted to talk to you." Emily put her hands in her pocket and tilted her head when Phil said that, Emily could read Phil easy after meeting him at the age ten when he entered the camp and left after he turned eighteen and joined S.H.I.E.L.D. at the age of eighteen. It was weird to think he had been in S.H.I.E.L.D. for about twenty five years or more. He was wearing his usual static expression but Emily knew him well enough to know that whatever he was doing here that it was personal.

"You not here because of S.H.I.E.L.D. are you?"

"No, I am not."

"I assume it is personal?"

"Yes, it is personal."

"What is than?" Phil took a breath and sighed before he spoke and he looked at her as he did so.

"I want you to take me to Camp Jupiter." Emily slapped her hand to her forehead and lowered her head when Phil had said that, ever since he learned about Camp Jupiter he wanted to go and see it. Emily had told him no, for there was no real need for him to go there or at least not now. Until Percy gets there, it would be better for the Romans to be unaware of the Greeks. Besides it might be dangerous for Phil, even if he wanted to go there partly to see what it was like and the other part because of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Phil, I told you, I can't take you there. Even if it personal. Though I can't even think of why this would be personal since you never been there."

"It kinda of is. I know it sounds weird. Only recently that I discover that I knew someone who had come from that camp and at the moment is vacationing there. I had an idea that this person could be a demigod but after I decided against it but only recently that I figure out that this person was a demigod when they went to the Caldecott tunnel. This person thinks I am died." Emily lifted her head when Phil said that.

"Why does this person think you are died?" Phil shuffled his feet when Emily had said that, Emily smiled slightly as she watched him. She remember when Tony and Steve spoke after Phil went into that coma that Apollo had put him in. She remembered that Tony brought up a cellist, Emily had never really gave much thought about before now that Phil might have a girlfriend. But clearly something had happened though had she wasn't sure what happened though.

"Well, you see, after I woke up from that coma that I had ask Nick to fake my death or make my family and friends think I am died. With everything that had been happening that I wanted them to be safer and thinking I was died would make them safer more so with the kind of work I do as well as being a demigod. However what I didn't expect to happen was Nick telling my girlfriend that I was dead." Phil went on shuffled his feet as he spoke. "I was planning on telling her everything and put her under S.H.I.E.L.D. Protection when I was going to see her Next. But that didn't go as I planned so I watched her from a distance. It hurt knowing that I am alive and she thinks I am died."

"I get that but what does she have to do with Camp Jupiter?" Phil sighed before he spoke.

"Apparently she is either a demigod or a legacy for the last report I go of her whereabouts was that she was heading to Caldecott tunnel." Emily bit her tongue, Emily was surprised that the gods didn't keep Phil and his girlfriend apart if she was roman and he was Greek. They might have been unaware of that fact, just like Phil had been unaware till recently.

"You want to go there and find her right?" Phil had nodded when Emily had said that. Emily walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. She put her hands on the back of her head thinking, she could take Phil to Camp Jupiter but what she say about Phil to the Romans. After a couple of minutes that Emily had looked at Phil of who and since sat down but he was squirming though. It was clear that he was anxious about this and he wanted to get to his girlfriend, Emily would admit it would be easier to take Phil here and let him explain things to her. Emily stood up without saying a word and went into the bedroom, she went to the closest and pulled out a purple camp Jupiter shirt, blue jeans and shoes that she knew would fit Phil. When she got the items she went back out and tossed the items at Phil and he caught them and he looked confused when he looked at them, he looked up at her as she spoke.

"It would be better if you are wearing that than your suit." Phil raised an eyebrow when she said that. "Romans don't wear suits." Phil smiled and got up and went to change. As he changes that Emily snapped her fingers and changed her appearance, Phil knew about her two appearances and knew what each one looked like. When he got back that he was putting his suit into a back pack that he must have brought with him. When he put the back pack on that Emily held her hand out to him and he grasp it and they went into a shade and reappeared in another shadow close to Caldecott tunnel. Emily had let to of his hand and lead him to the entrance of the tunnel where Hazel and bobby were standing. They both had their swords draw, when they saw Emily that they lowered their swords and she told them that Phil was a legacy and they went thought the tunnel. When they were far enough away that Phil hand spoke.

"Couldn't you said demigod?" Emily rolled her eyes when Phil said that.

"Phil, in that respect, that in some cases that some demigods would reach your age without coming here to train. But the Romans have the same chance as the Greeks." Phil nodded when Emily said that and when they got to the other end that Phil stopped at once. Emily smiled as Phil looked out to Camp Jupiter, Emily had a similar reaction as Phil was having at the moment. After a minute that Phil looked at her before he spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me that there was a city here?"

"Because you wouldn't have believe me. Come on let's go." Emily and Phil had climbed down and went over to Camp Jupiter. As they entered the camp that the Romans and stopped and looked at them, Phil was looking around. When they were close to the main building that Reyna had walked out along with a girl no older than twelve. Emily meet this girl, a legacy of Apollo, a couple of weeks ago or officially at least, the girl had been at camp for two years and it was only recently that she had become the new Augur. She was scared when she had become the new augur, Emily couldn't blame the girl for that. Emily had say the girl from time to time when she was at camp, the younger girl and notice Emily and tugged at Reyna's sleeve and pointed. Reyna looked over to where she was pointed and saw Emily and Phil, Reyna and the younger girl had walked over to Emily and Phil. When Reyna reached them that she looked at Phil before she spoke.

"Who is this?"

"Phil Coulson, he is a legacy of Ceres. Second generation." Reyna looked at him carefully. Phil, who was normally calm looked nervous or at least to Emily at any rate. After a minute that Reyna spoke.

"Is he here to join the legion?"

"No, but I had told him about this place a couple of times when I wasn't here and he wanted to see this place. So I had brought him along with me this trip."

"All right, just make sure he follows the rules." With that, Reyna and the young girl had wowed away, Emily heard Phil let out his breath as Reyna left. Emily looked over at him as he looked at her.

"Is she always like that?"

"Pretty much, reminds you of anyone?" Phil smiled and shook his head, he knows who she means by that, Annabeth. Emily lead Phil over to the ambassador house, that was giving to her when she got here, and gave him the room on the third floor. Emily helped him unpack, most of the things he had were from S.H.I.E.L.D., suits or demigod things. As soon as Emily closed the closet door that there was a knock on the door, Phil looked to the door of the room. Emily walked over to the bedroom door to go down below as Phil spoke.

"Who can that be?"

"There is only four people that I can think of who it might be." Emily left the bedroom and went downstairs and opened the front door, honestly she expected either Reyna, Jennifer, Hazel or Nico. Nico was questionable since he wasn't always here and he rarely spends the night at Camp Jupiter like Emily would do half of the time. Though she hadn't done that recently. However what Emily didn't expect, when she opened the door, was a woman in her late thirties or at least a few years younger than Phil to be standing on the steps. She was about one inch taller than Emily, so she was about 5'8" and she had brown hair and brown eyes. Her skin was slightly tanned, but it was hard to tell if it was natural or she gained it from the sun. She was wearing a brown jacket, a camp Jupiter shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes, the woman looked nervous standing in front of her. Emily could hear Phil walking down the stairs, she was sure that he was wondering of who it was.

"Can I help you?" Just as Emily said that, that Phil had took the last step off the stairs and stood there watching Emily. Than the woman had spoke.

"Are you Rachel Blackthrone, daughter of Hades, ambassador of Vesta and protector of roman state and the home?" Emily had noticed Phil's reaction when the woman had spoke, his usual static expression was gone and instead it was replace by shock, sadness, love and hope. He had his mouth open slightly but he closed it quickly though, Emily knew that this had to to be his girlfriend. However she figured that shock part on his face had come from the protector of roman state and the home since Emily didn't bother to tell him that fact.

"I am, is there a reason you had come here?" The woman shuffled her feet in a similar matter Phil was doing, Emily watched them both, it was like they were in tune with each other. It was a bit weird, though weird things had happen a lot in he demigod world.

"Yes, when I was going to train that I overheard Reyna and the new augur about a friend you brought along with you this trip and I heard the name Of the friend. When I heard the name that I had come over here quickly." Emily could see and feel the hope coming from the woman, it was the same hope she felt from Phil earlier when she tossed him the clothes earlier.

"I did brought someone with me. But I am curious why did you come over here when you heard his name?" The woman bite her lip.

"He's my boyfriend. I was told he was died, but if he really is alive, I want to see him." Emily noticed that Phil had smiled when she had said that. Emily didn't say anything, instead she stepped aside and opened the door wider and gestured her to come inside, when the woman entered the house that she looked around. It only took her a few moments before she spotted Phil and she ran over to him and hugged him. Phil hugged her back, Emily could hear the woman crying slightly and Phil looked close to tears himself. Phil had looked over at Emily and she mouthed that she will be back later, this Emily left the house and closed the door behind her.

Phil's pov

He had wanted to approach Audrey ever since she had been told that he was died, he didn't want to have her in danger but he didn't want to lose her. He knew he had took a risk in asking Emily to bring him here to Camp Jupiter, but the sources said she had come here. He never knew she was a demigod, though after what Emily said about him being a legacy that he wondered if there was more than just demigods here. When someone knocked that he was unsure of who it was and followed Emily down stairs. Just as Emily ask if she could help of whoever was there at the door that he took the last step and watched Emily.

"Are you Rachel Blackthrone, daughter of Hades, ambassador of Vesta and protector of roman state and the home?" Phil's was shocked when he heard what the person said as well as hearing that voice. But he was also sad when he heard the voice as well as feeling the love he had for the woman that was standing outside and the hope that he might see her if Emily let's her in or if she comes inside.

"I am, is there a reason you had come here?"

"Yes, when I was going to train that I overheard Reyna and the new augur about a friend you brought along with you this trip and I heard the name. When I heard the name that I had come over quickly."

"I did brought someone with me. But I am curious why did you come over here when you heard his name?" Phil shifted his feet, Emily was delaying it, he was having a hard time of not running to the door.

"He's my boyfriend. I was told he was died, but if he really is alive, I want to see him." Phil smiled when he heard her say that, Phil expected Emily to say something else but she didn't though, of which surprised Phil. Instead she had stepped aside and opened the door wider, than gestured for her to come in. Audrey had walked in and his smile grew when he saw her, Phil didn't move from his spot as Audrey looked around and spotted him. When she saw him that she had ran over to him and hugged him, she started to cry into his shoulder. Phil hugged her back, he was close to tears himself, he couldn't remember the last time held her like this. It was at least a month or two before the avenger battle of Manhattan and that was over a year ago. Thankfully Emily had gave them privacy by leaving the house, he knew that she understood all too well that they needed time alone.

As Aubrey cried into his shoulder that she kept saying the same thing, that she was told he was died. That after a while she really thought he died, it pained Phil to hear that as well as to see Aubrey in this state. He never wanted this to happen to her, him or them, but it was done none the less, he knew he would have a long story to tell her when she stops crying. It had took a while before Aubrey had calmed down and stopped crying, during that time that Phil and lead her to the couch. She had kept her head on his shoulder but since moved her arms around his neck and he kept his arms around her. He nuzzled his face into her hair as she nuzzled into his neck. Neither one said anything to each other for a few minutes, as the minutes went by that Aubrey had lowered one of her hands and placed on his chest before she lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Phil, what happened? Did you really die?" Phil pushed some of her hair back behind her ear enforce he spoke.

"Aubrey, that is a long story. But I never really died. I was close to it but I was saved and was in a coma for a while. I will admit that after I got out of it that I had ask the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., at the time, to make my family and friends think I was dead. I was going to come and get you but they had informed you of the same thing and I watched you from a distance since." Aubrey knew that he was part of S.H.I.E.L.D. and she knew how dangerous it was, but he never told her that he was a demigod and apparently she never mentioned she was one too. Aubrey put her head on his shoulder once more and Phil pulled her closer to him, not wanting to let go of her.

Emily's pov

Emily had walked around the camp, many greeted her as she walked by them. She made her way up to the temple hill, just as she reached the top of the hill that there was a shout from behind her and she turned around. When Emily turned around that she saw it was Nico and he looked out of breath, Emily was close to Nico but she wasn't as close to him as Arabella was. However Nico and Arabella were closer in age somewhat but Emily and Nico were from the same time period so they could understood of each other would think. By he time Nico had reached her that he was out of breath, he had his Stygian sword on is belt and he was wearing a skull ring and wearing his one jacket. Emily didn't expect to see Nico here at camp Jupiter, when Nico catch his breath that he spoke.

"Emily, Jason is at the other place."

"I know Nico. I was there when he first got there." Nico looked surprised when Emily had said that. "Come on, let's go over here." Emily put her hands on his shoulders and less him to the temple of Pluto and they sat on the roof of the temple, they started tasking about Jason and what happen his first few days. Soon enough Emily and Nico found themselves talking about World War II, as Emily told Nico of when Hades adopted her that there was a shout from the ground. Emily and Nico had looked down and saw Jennifer and Hazel, Emily and Nico handler them come up. The four of them sat there talking, as they spoke that Emily smiled, it was funny in a way that at the moment that Hades had the most kids. For Hades had five kids, two were from the roman aspect and the other here were Greek. Emily had summoned food for them to eat as they spoke for the rest of the day till night had fell.

When night fell at it was time for war games, so Emily went to the one tower to watch it. Emily had expected Phil and his girlfriend in her house still, but to her surprise, Phil was in the tower looking at at the fort the 1st and 2nd cohort had built. As Emily walked up the stairs that Phil had looked back at her and she went up next to him, when she was standing next to him that he spoke.

"What is War Games?"

"It's like capture the flag but you have to attack the fort and get the two banners inside the fort." They watched as the game played, the 3rd, 4th and 5th had lost the game and they trotted back to the barracks. When they reached the bottom of the stairs that Phil's girlfriend was waiting for them and she hugged him when he got off the stairs. The three of them walked back to Emily's house and Phil and hai girlfriend held hands the entire time. When they reached the house that Phil's girlfriend had let go and went to her house and they went into Emily's house. For the next three days Emily and Phil stayed in Camp Jupiter and he spend most of his time with his girlfriend. Of which was fine whit Emily since she had seen d much of her time with Hazel, Jennifer and Nico. However the time was more spend on the three sisters bugging the brother, the main reason for that was trying to get Nico to smile and laugh. Of which Emily managed to do more than once but Hazel and Jennifer had a harder time with it. During their latest game of it that Emily hadn't noticed Phil coming up behind them, it wasn't till Nico was laughing that Emily heard a voice behind her.

"I don't remember you doing that before." Emily had turned around and stood up when she saw Phil standing there. He was still wearing the clothes she gave him three days ago. But this was the first time she she seen him without Aubrey nearby or at nighttime.

"Well down, I don't have any of my Hades siblings in the tower, unless if you count Arabella, or anyway else for that matter." Nico had managed to stop laughing and got to his feet and looked at Phil, Nico, Hazel and Jennifer were puzzle of who he was. Nico was the first to say something.

"Who are you?"

"Phil Coulson, legacy of Ceres." Nico had looked at Emily, she could tell he was questioning it and she mouthed, greek demigod. Nico got it and understood at once, Emily brushed herself off before she spoke.

"So what brings you here, I thought you would be with Aubrey."

"I was, but she going back to Portland tomorrow so she is packing now and I need to get back to where I was." Emily nodded when Phil said that and he had the back pack on his back. Emily hugged Jennifer and Hazel but she didn't bother with Nico, for she knew he doesn't like to touched even by a sister. When Emily said good bye to them that she took Phil's arm and the shadow engulfed them. When the stepped out of the shadows that they were in Phil's house in New York, Phil had walked over the bedroom to change.

"See you later, Phil."

"See you at the tower or at the headquarters." Emily smiled and ran into a shadow.


	8. Chapter 8

When Emily had got back to the tower that they all ask of where she had been and asked if she had seen Phil. When Emily had gotten them to calm down that had told them that she had went to Camp Jupiter but she refused to comment about knowing when Phil had been. Emily had half expect Phil to come to the tower while she had been telling the rest of the avengers of where she had been. Of which he didn't, it would have been funny if he did, since Tony had started yelling similar things at the air as Phil told him when he had been under house arrest. Of which was mainly putting him under house arrest, taser him and watch super nanny as he drools on the floor. No one els, but Emily knew what he was talking about and she had been the only one laughing. By the time she managed to stopped that everyone was looking at her, she spoke.

"Sorry, but that was funny. I wasn't there when Tony was under house arrest, but I heard about it from Phil though. I was on the floor laughing when Phil had told me about what happen there. I am not sure which is funnier, Tony repeating what Phil said or what Phil said."

"So you know where Phil was than? I know S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't get a trace on him for the last three days."

"That is what happens when you are a camp for demigods that those items don't work to well." Everyone looked at the elevator as Phil came off wearing his suit. Before Tony could say anything that Emily spoke.

"You should have come a few minutes ago when Tony was threatening to put you under house arrest, taser you and watch super nanny while you drool on the floor." Even though his face was static, Emily could tell that a smile was making it's way up to his mouth. It was just at the edge of reaching his mouth, Emily was sure if this had been Camp Jupiter that he would have burst into laughter. Phil had manage to keep his static in place for the most part around her but there had been times of when he broken it around her. But it was clear that it was totally broken when Aubrey was around and he always showed what he felt on his face around her from the times she saw them together in the last three days.

"I would have most likely beaten him to it."

"That is not a surprise." Tony spoke up.

"Where have you been for the last three days?" Phil looked over at Emily before he spoke.

"You didn't tell them."

"No! Where would be the fun in that, it was more amusing with the reaction I got. Besides I was half hoping that you come when Tony was threatening with the super nanny, that would been the perfect timing for you to come in." Phil shook his head and this looked at Tony.

"I was with Emily for the last three days at Camp Jupiter."

"What, how come you didn't bring us?"

"Phil was being a super nanny." Natasha and Clint had chuckled at that along with Emily, for the three of them knew, besides Tony, of how much he could be like a super nanny. More so when he is around Tony, however he never acted like one when he was around Emily and didn't act like one around Steve either. However with Steve, Phil was more of a fan boy than a super nanny and with Emily, she was more of the super nanny. At one point he did act more like a fan boy around her but that changed after asking him not to reveal who she was till the time was right. Up till Emily revealed to S.H.I.E.L.D. of who she really was that they all wondered of how Emily and Phil had a brother and sister relationship. Everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D knows Phil was a son of Demeter just like they all knew she was a daughter of Demeter or at least when she revealed herself. For that information had come from the SSR when S.H.I.E.L.D. was form after the SSR was disbanded. Than Natasha spoke up.

"How come you didn't take Clint or myself to Camp Jupiter? We have been asking Emily for the last couple of weeks to take us there, she refused till now. Why is that?" Phil looked at Emily, Emily crossed her arms and leaned back, she didn't bother to say anything.

"So you are not going to tell them?"

"Why should I tell them that for? I am not even sure what you were doing three fourths of the time while you were there. Though I have guesses."

Emily was close of laughing, like most of the time Phil's face was static, but she could tell from hai body language that he knew which guesses she meant. Emily had to bite down on her lower lip hard to stop herself laughing her head off, for it was clear to Emily, at least, at Phil was slightly embarrassed. As they looked at each other that Emily thought of she had first meet Phil at camp. Even though Emily and Phil had become close, like she did with Arabella, that at times it pained Emily to see Phil. For in some ways he reminded her too much of Steve, though in many was he had helped deal with the ease to pain of losing her only full brother. However Phil was unaware of that fact for eight years, but after that he joined S.H.I.E.L.D. that he figured out her secret, he was only one of two that knew about Emily having two appearances before she revealed to S.H.I.E.L.D. and revealed to the world she was indeed alive. After a minute that Phil had caved in and told them of what he was doing in the last three days and why Emily took him there. There was silence when Phil finished, after a few moments that Steve had spoke up.

"So your girlfriend is Roman?" Phil nodded when Steve said that and Tony spoke.

"Has that happen before of where two demigods from two groups meet and started dating?" Before Phil could say anything that Emily spoke.

"No, Phil and Aubrey are the first but they are not the only ones. The day before I went to Camp Jupiter with Phil that Jason, from Camp Jupiter, and Piper, from Camp Halfblood, started dating. But the difference is that neither Aubrey or Phil knew that each were a demigod when they started dating. However, Aubrey is still unware that Phil is Greek." Tony had looked over at her.

"I thought you said you were playing and nagging a half brother."

"I was, but it wasn't Phil."

"Hang on." Emily looked at Steve. "Are you saying that we have roman half brothers in Camp Jupiter?"

"Yes, but it hardly talk to them. True, the Romans know who I am really but they are so used to Ambassador Blackthrone that they forget about me daughter of Demeter, or Ceres in their case. Plus I am in my daughter of Hades when I am there, the only time I wasn't was on the honeymoon and it was than I revealed of who I was. However being labeled as a daughter of Pluto, or Hades, for sixty seven years trends to stick."

"Emily." Emily looked at Lauren. "Don't they do beads or something for your necklace only had the ten beards on it." Emily looked down at the beads that were out from under her shirt, she had put them back under her shirt before she spoke.

"They don't do beads. But they do have something for every year that they are there. But ambassador don't get one or technically they don't." Lauren raised an eyebrow when Emily said that and she had a confused look on her face.

"Are you saying that Nico has whatever the Romans have for each year."

"No." Emily pulled her jacket off before removing her green bracelet and blue bracelet and lifted her and to let them see the tattoo on her forearm of which was the same one as Jaosn expect the symbols. One was a glyph with two arms and a head and the other was fire. "I do." Bucky had grasp her am and looked at it.

"I don't remember seeing this."

"That is because my bracelets are always covering it, even when I am sleeping. For each year you are at the roman camp that you get a bar line. I was the first ever ambassador and Lupa wanted to test me to see if I was able to handle myself in camp and to get there. When I had proved myself that she trained me for a short period of time before setting me off to Camp Jupiter to become the ambassador. Unlike all other roman demigods that Lupa had gave me this tattoo to show the Romans I can be trusted. That is the way of the roman demigods that they get left at the wolf house to be train by Lupa and she deems them worthy or not. If they are worthy she trains them and if they are not, they will be killed." Silence filled the room than Phil spoke.

"So Aubrey had went though this than?" Emily could see the worry in Phil's eyes when he asked her that.

"It depends."

"On what?"

"Was she born and raised in New Rome?"

"No, she isn't a legacy, she is a daughter of Apollo on his roman aspect."

"Than yes, she had to go though what I did. However I think I had the hardest test of any of them. Since most of the fighting of World War II had stopped at that point, the only expedition was Japan. Lupa knew of my real name and appearance and knew what I had been doing. So she had went extra hard on me because of my ten years at camp Halfblood and the two to three years that I was in the war. For I had more experience than most roman demigods do when they pass though the wolf house." As she spoke that she took her wrist away from Bucky and out the bracelets back on and put the jacket back on. Emily looked back at Phil after she put her jacket back on. "But I can't say for sure of how hard is for the other roman demigods to pass the test. The only thing I am sure of is that Lupa went harder on me for the reasons I already stated."

"You weren't kidding about Romans being more warlike were you?" Emily looked at Tony when he said that.

"Well duh. That was also a small part of the reason of why I refused Phil to go there till he told me about his girlfriend going there. When he said that, that I knew that he would spend most of his time either with me or with her."

"You are making it sound like I was in a danger zone."

"That is because enough you were in a danger zone. Greeks and Romans don't get along very well or at all. It's because of the Athena Parthenos that the rival between both groups had started."

"You mean the statue that disappeared all those years ago, the one that the Greeks believed the Romans took."

"Yes, Phil, the very same." Emily looked at everyone of who was looking at her shocked. "Look, it would be better if you didn't know about that. I am hoping that the two groups will still be able to unite despite that rift." It was clear they wanted to know but one glare from Emily had told the others that she won't say no more about what the statue.

For the next few months, Emily kept going between camp Halfblood, camps Jupiter, the avenger tower and the underworld. It felt pretty much as the same before Steve woke up but she wasn't at any given place for more than a week and at times she was there less than a hour. Thankfully, Thor, Bucky, Steve and Lauren helped her a lot. Thor and Bucky went with her to camp Jupiter and most of the time Steve and Lauren went to camp Halfblood. Emily would only stay at camp Halfblood for a hour before leaving once more if there things she she to tell Chiron herself, she left the rest for Lauren and Steve to explain of what happening at Camp Jupiter and other places. Bucky only went with Emily for support, for he was utterly lost in Camp Jupiter, however Thor helped with the training of the roman demigods.

The Romans were thrilled about the Norse gods being real and wanted to learn how to fight like a Norse of which her was only too happy to help. That was one thing Thor could do and it was one less thing Emily had to worry about, after a long day talking with Reyna that Emily had entered her house and sat on the couch. Just after she sat down that Bucky had come walking down the stairs, he sat down next to her and she put her head on his shoulder. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Bucky had spoke.

"Is is what it usually like for you?"

"Close but not quite, it's more like this in the fall and winter along side with helping demigods of going of where they need to go to. I rarely go to the underworld during that time, Persephone and I usually trade spots during the seasons sort of." There was a knock on the door, before Emily could say anything the door opened and Aubrey walked in. Emily had stood up as Aubrey walked in and looked around. "Hi Aubrey." She looked at Emily.

"Hi Emily, where's Phil?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters."

"Who's this?" Emily looked at Bucky when he said that.

"Bucky, this is Aubrey. Phil's girlfriend. Aubrey this is Bucky, my husband." Aubrey spend a couple more hours with them before leaving, just after she left that Thor had come back. The next day, Thor and Bucky had went back to to the tower, Emily stayed behind because there was still a couple of things she needed to do. Amount them was to say goodbye to Hazel and Jennifer for now, at the moment Hazel was on guard duty. However before she reached there that she had learned Nico and Arabella were there and at Pluto's temple. So Emily had went temple hill and sure enough Arabella and Nico were standing in front of Pluto's table. When Emily reached them that they turned and looked at her and Arabella spoke first.

"Emily!" She ran over and hugged Emily and Emily hugged her back before letting go. "I heard you were here."

"Yeah, I am leaving today though and he heading back to the avenger tower, you can come with me if you want since the avengers think of you as part of the group."

"I will stop by later but there are other things Nico and I need to do though. Some of it here no less." Emily nodded when Arabella said that. Just than that Emily noticed two figures walking towards the temple, they were close enough that Emily recognize both of them. One was Hazel, the other one Emily found almost hard to believe that he was there but yet she knew he had turn up here at some point but not six months after he disappeared, the one with Hazel was none other this Percy Jackson. It was clear that neither Nico or Arabella had noticed them till Hazel had called out.

"Hey, I've brought a friend." Nico and Arabella turned around, Emily saw the shock in both Arabella and Nico, but there was panic in Nico. Emily could tell Percy felt like he should know the three of them but couldn't place them "This is Percy Jackson. He's a good guy. Percy, this is my brother, the son of Pluto and my two sisters, daughters of Pluto." Arabella and Nico and regained their composure and Nico had held his hand out.

"I'm Nico di Angelo. This is Rachel Blackthroen and Arabella Evans." Emily could tell that there was slightly tension in the sure it was mostly because Percy was trying to remember while Emily and the other two knew him. Percy and Nico shook hands while they studied each other warily, it also seemed like they may bring out their swords. Than Percy spoke and he scowled.

"I—I know you." He looked at Arabella and Emily. "I know you two too." Nico raised an eyebrow.

"Do you?" Arabella was clinging onto Nico for reassurance and looked at Emily when Nico and asked that to Percy.

"Yes or at least I think I do." Arabella looked at Emily, Emily looked at Percy.

"Percy, the three of us traveled a lot. We can't keep straight of who we meet since we meet a lot of people expect for the people we got to know. We may have meet but it may have been for a few moments."

"That's true, I have been to England many times as well as around the states." Emily smiled lightly when Arabella said that.

"But I want to say that we know each other better than that." Nico looked at Hazel for explanation. Hazel hesitated, it was clear she noticed that his reaction wasn't the one she had expected.

"Um…Percy's lost his memory." Hazel than told them of what happened since Percy hand arrived at the gates. "So, Nico… I thought…you know, you travel all over. Maybe you've met demigods like Percy before, or..." Hazel had noticed Emily's and Nico's expression and that the express had turned as dark as Tartarus. But she got the message and dropped it.

"This story about Gaea's army, You warned Reyna?"

"Who is Gaea, anyway?" It was Emily that spoke.

"She's the earth goddess. The oldest goddess of all. She's in a deep sleep most of the time, but she hates the gods and their children."

"Mother Earth…is evil?"

"Yes, she convinced her son, Saturn to kill his father, Uranus and take over the world. The titans ruled for a long time before the Olympian gods overthrew them and hey been in power ever since." Nico looked happy as Emily answered the question once more.

"That story seems familiar. But I don't think I ever heard the part about Gaea."

"She got mad when the gods took over. She took a new husband, Tartarus, the spirit of the abyss, and gave birth to a race of giants. They tried to destroy Mount Olympus, but the gods finally beat them. At least…the first time."

"The first time?" Nico glanced at Hazel, Emily, Arabella and Nico knew what happened in Hazel's past and they were not trying to make her feel guilty but it was only fair to make sure Percy had some answers. Emily had went on with answering Percy's question.

"Last summer, Saturn tried to make a comeback. There was a second Titan war. The Romans at Camp Jupiter stormed his headquarters on Mount Othrys, across the bay, and destroyed his throne. Saturn disappeared—" Emily hesitated, watching Percy's face. Emily wondered of how much she should tell him and if she told him to soon at his memories might come back too soon. Emily knows for sure he had lost the mark of Achilles when he crossed the little Tiber, though Hazel may not have known that fact. Emily had went on.

"Um, anyway. Saturn probably faded back to the abyss. We all thought the war was over. Now it looks like the Titans' defeat stirred up Gaea. She's starting to wake. I've heard reports of giants being reborn. If they mean to challenge the gods again, they'll probably start by destroying the demigods.…"

"You've told Reyna this?" Before Emily could say anything that Nico had spoke,

"Of course. The Romans don't trust me. That's why I was hoping she'd listen to you. Children of Pluto…well, no offense, but they think we're even worse than children of Neptune. We're bad luck." Arabella was still clinging onto Nico, Arabella looked at Emily of who merely shook her head telling her that she didn't need to say anything at the moment.

"They let Hazel and Jennifer stay here." Emily spoke before Nico could.

"That's different, I had told Reyna about this as well, at first she didn't believe till things that I had told her of what I knew a few months ago. When things started to get worse, it was than that she started to believe some things but not all of it though."

"Okay but why is different for Hazel and Jennifer or for Rachel and Arabella?"

"Arabella and myself don't stay here either or not for long at least. Nico, Arabella and myself are more loners than anything else. Nico and I are ambassadors and Arabella would come here to train with other demigods to bring her skill level up if she has to. Other wise we are not in camp." Than Hazel spoke.

"Percy, look, the giants aren't the worst problem. Even ... even Gaea isn't the worst problem. The thing you noticed about the gorgons, how they wouldn't die, that's our biggest worry." Hazel had looked Nico, Arabella and Emily. "Nico and I, we think that what's happening is…Death isn't—" There was a shout that came from down the hill. It was Frank, he was jogging towards them wearing jeans, a purple camp shirt and a denim jacket. His hands were covered in grease from cleaning the weapons, or that was what Emily assumed that Frank had been doing before he had come here.

"Hey, Nico…"

"Frank." Nico and Emily smiled, Emily found Frank amusing and she was sure Nico did too. Frank was rather nice though he looked funny with small head on a wrestler body.

"Reyna sent me to get Percy, Did Lee-Ann accept you?"

"Yeah, she slaughtered my panda. But at least she asked me if she could before she did it though."

"He…Oh. The augury? Yeah, teddy bears must have nightmares about her. But you're in! We need to get you cleaned up before evening muster." Emily had this noticed the sun was getting lower, over the hills. It seemed like he day had went by to quickly.

"You're right. We'd better—" Before Hazel could go in on that Nico spoke.

"Frank, why don't you take Percy down? Hazel, Rachel, Arabella and I will be along soon." Emily had an idea of what Nico wanted to to so about and say, it seemed that Hazel wasn't sure if she wanted to stay and talk or at least at the moment.

"That's—that's a good idea. Go ahead, guys. We'll catch up." Percy looked at Emily, Arabella and Nico, he had a similar look as Jason did when Jason saw Emily as he got out of the lake.

"I'd like to talk with you some more. I can't shake the feeling—"

"Sure, Later. I'll be staying overnight."

"I will also be staying over I that as well." Emily raised an eyebrow when Nico and Arabella said that, Emily didn't expect them to spend the night.

"You will?"

"Go on, Percy, Settle in." Nico had turned to Hazel. "My sister and I need to talk." When Percy and Frank left that Emily, Arsbella, Nico and Hazel went on top of the rook of Pluto's temple. After a minute of sitting there that Hazel spoke.

"You know him, don't you." The roof was covered with bones and diamonds, the diamonds were Hazel's fault but Emily couldn't blame Hazel for that. Emily could use the same power but she didn't bear Hazel's curse, she couldn't began to think of what it must have been like to carry such a curse. Emily and Nico were swinging their feet like little kids, even though emily was the oldest making them. Nico's sword and Hazel's sword where laying side by side. Emily, Arabella and Nico were looking across the valley. She can't begin to think of what the Romans might be thinking when they learned they have five children of Pluto, even though one is adopted, and a child of Neptune in camp. Even though four of the six shouldn't be in his camp, they were watching where the Romans were working on the fort for the war games for that night.

They sat on the roof of Pluto's shrine, which was covered with bones and diamonds. As far as Hazel knew, the bones had always been there. The diamonds were her fault. If she sat anywhere too long, or just got anxious, they started popping up all around her like mushrooms after a rain. Several million dollars' worth of stones glittered on the roof, but fortunately the other campers wouldn't touch them. They knew better than to steal from temples—especially Pluto's—and the fauns never came up here.

"Percy Jackson. Hazel, I have to be careful what I say. Important things are at work here. Some secrets need to stay secret. You of all people—you should understand that."

"But he's not like…like me?"

"No, I'm sorry I can't tell you more. I can't interfere. Percy has to find his own way at this camp."

"I can't intervene either, all three of us know who he is." Emily spoke up the last.

"None of is can intervene with Percy and finding his way at this camp. He has to do this himself, though I wish i could tell him more than I did. But I was worried if I said too much that hai memories may come back sooner than they are suppose to." Hazel nodded in understand before she spoke.

"Is he dangerous?"

"Very. To his enemies. But he's not a threat to Camp Jupiter. You can trust him."

"Like I trust you." Emily sighed when Hazel said there there so many times she wished that she could tell Hazel the truth about them but that was dangerous. Nico had twisted his skull ring and the bones begs. To quiver as if they were trying to form a new skeleton. It was amusing really, when Hazel and Jennifer were with Emily, Arabella and Nico that the five of them represent Pluto's two sprees of control, death and riches. Emily would admit that she has more control over the riches than Nico and Arabella but Hazel was more powerful in that respect.

"Look, I know this is hard. But you have a second chance. You can make things right."

"Nothing about this is right. If they find out the truth about me—"

"They won't. They'll call a quest soon. They have to. You'll make me proud. Trust me, Bi—" Nico had caught himself, Emily felt her hers besting faster out of panic. Nico was close of calling her Bianca, the other child of hades and the only one to die so far of the children of the big three. Emily knew Nico cared about Hazel like he cared about Jennifer, Emily and Arabella. But just like it was with Emily and Steve, none of them could take Bianca's place in his heart. "I'm sorry."

"Nico, it's all right, I know how you feel." Emily looked over at Hazel before going on. "Hazel, he won't found out and I took care of the main person who would have gave you trouble about your secret." Hazel nodded when Emily said that before Hazel spoke once more.

"Then it's true about Death? Is Alcyoneus to blame?"

"I think so. It's getting bad in the Underworld. Dad's going crazy trying to keep things under control. From what Percy said about the gorgons, things are getting worse up here, too. But look, that's why you're here. All that stuff in your past—you can make something good come out of it. You belong at Camp Jupiter." Hazel laughed and Emily was about ready to say something but Hazel blacked out. Arabella had started shaking Hazel and after about five minutes that Hazel was brought back to the present. Arabella than spoke.

"You did it again." Hazel blinked, there were still on the room and the sun was lower. There was also more diamonds on the roof than there had been before they climbed up on the roof.

"S-sorry." It was Nico who spoke next.

"Don't be. Where were you?"

"My mother's apartment. The day we moved." Emily and Nico nodded, between Emily, Nico, Jennifer, and Arabella, Emily and Nico understood Hazel's past better than most people could. Emily was born a good few years ahead of them, Emily had lived though the years while Hazel died and Nico was locked away in the Lotus Hotel for a long time.

"You have to work on controlling those memories, if a flashback like that happens when you're in combat—"

"I know. I'm trying."

"It's okay. I think it's a side effect from…you know, your time in the Underworld. Hopefully it'll get easier." Emily put her hand on Hazel's shoulder and she looked at Emily.

"It would be hard, but one days you will be able to control those memories."

"Can't you help with that, I know you can look into people's memories with hope."

"I would but I am not sure if I can do anything about it. I never came across anything like your flashbacks." Hazel hung her head when Emily said that.

"Hazel." Hazel looked at Arabella. "I am sure as Emily that you would be able to control your flashbacks." Hazel smiled lightly when Arabella had said that. Emily would admit that this was one of their most serious conversations, unlike the time of when Phil was here a few months ago. Though Arabella wasn't here at that time.

"I can't go north again. Nico, if I have to go back to where it happened—"

"You'll be fine. You'll have friends this time. Percy Jackson—he's got a role to play in this. You can sense that, can't you? He's a good person to have at your side."

"Where did he come from? Why do the ghosts call him the Greek?" Before any of them could say anything that horns blew across the river.

"We'd better get down there, I have a feeling tonight's war games are going to be interesting."


	9. Chapter 9

On the way back that Hazel tripped over a gold bar, good thing it was Hazel instead Nico or Arabella. The gold bar, that Hazel tripped over, wouldn't affect Emily since she was heir to the underworld. However they had been running and it was bound to happen that someone was going to trip. For punishments for being tardy were not good at camp Jupiter, that was one thing Emily was glad off that even if she was late that she wouldn't get punished because of her status. She was also glad she was Greek instead of roman because camp Halfblood was not as strict as camp Jupiter. Nico tried to catch her but she took a spill and scrape her hands, Emily knelt down besides Hazel as Nico spoke

"You okay?" Nico reached his hand towards the gold bar but Emily spoke.

"Nico, don't!" Nico froze when Emily said that.

"Right. Sorry. It's just…jeez. That thing is huge." Nico knelt down besides Hazel as well as Arabella and pulled out a flask of nectar from his aviator jacket. He poured a little on Hazel's hands and the cuts stated to heal, Nico put the flash away. "Can you stand?" Arabella and Emily helped Hazel up on her feet and they started at the gold that Hazel summoned up. It was the size of a bread loaf, there was a serial number and the words u.s. Treasury on it. "How in Tartarus—?"

"I don't know. It could've been buried there by robbers or dropped off a wagon a hundred years ago. Maybe it migrated from the nearest bank vault. Whatever's in the ground, anywhere close to me—it just pops up. And the more valuable it is—"

"The more dangerous it is. Should we cover it up? If the fauns find it…"

"It should sink back underground after I leave, eventually, but just to be sure…" Hazel pointed at the gold bar and tried to concentrate, the gold started to levitate. Than the gold bar started to glow with hear. Emily panicked slightly, if Hazel hadn't been practicing with her powers than it may not turn out very well.

"Um, Hazel, are you sure…?" Hazel made a fist and the gold bent like putty, she forced it to twist into a giant lumpy ring. Than she flicked her hand toward the ground and the. Ill ion dollar doughnut slammed into the earth. It went so deep that there was. toying but a scar of fresh dirt, Emily knew if any of her friends that had been here would have been surprised to see what just happened. "That was…terrifying."the horns had blew again.

"Hurry!" Emily, Hazel, Nico and Arabella ran to the gates, Emily has to admit that it was an impressive sight to see the legion assemble. But honestly after standing in a circle with the avengers, as well as added Arabella in there after the last time the avengers assembled, that she felt that was more of an impressive sight. For there was no iron man, no hulk, no one was light up, it was pretty much 200 hundred teenagers that were dressed for war. Ever since she had become an avenger and saw the legion assemble that she wanted to yell, legion assemble like how either her or Steve yell avenger assemble. Hazel had run right down the middle of the legion to get to her place.

In front of the legionnaires stood their red and gold shields that reminded Emily of the colors of Gryffindor from Hogwarts. Emily was sure that the same thought had accord to Arabella was well considering that Arabella goes to Hogwarts. Every legionnaire was carrying different weapons, a pilum, a gladius, a dagger among other other weapons and equips wants. As the four of them jogged down the street that everyone was coming to attention, so their entrance was rather obvious. Their footsteps echoed on the street, as they ran past Reyna, she was on her Pegasus skippy, had spoke up. "Hazel Levesque, so glad you could join us." Hazel didn't respond when Reyna said that to was Emily than Reyna would have regretted saying that to Emily. Reyna knows better than to say that to Emily to add to the embarrassment that Hazel had at the moment. Dakota called hazel's name as she barely got into line.

"Present!" Emily had joined Nico, Arabella and Percy, of who was standing to one side with a couple of guards. Percy's hair was still wet from the baths of which Emily found amusing since she knows that Percy can decide if he wants to get wet or not. He was wearing fresh clothes but he looked uncomfortable and she was sure that it was because he was about to be introduced to two hundred heavily armed kids. The lares were the last ones to flak in, Emily heard Arabella growl. Emily rolled her eyes for she knew Arabella hated spirits who decided to stay behind, that was proven at Hogwarts. However the lares were different from the Hogwarts ghosts for it was part of the roman history as oppose to he Hogwarts ghost of where not. It was Lee-Ann that spoke.

"Colors!" The standard-bearers stepped forward, they wore lion-skin capes and held poles decorated with each cohort's emblems. The last one to present his standard was Jacob, the legion's eagle bearer, he just holds a long pole with absolute ply nothing on top. Emily knew was the most important and biggest honor for the legion to have such a job. Throughout the years she seen the ones who carried woks with pride holding the side pole. But ever since the eagle was lost that it was job that was shameful instead of being a big honor like it is suppose to be. Emily could sense the embarrassment rippling through the legion and Reyna had brought her Pegasus to a halt.

"Romans! You've probably heard about the incursion today. Two gorgons were swept into the river by this newcomer, Percy Jackson. Juno herself guided him here, and proclaimed him a son of Neptune." The ones in the back had to craned their necks to see Percy, Percy raised his hand.

"Hi."

"He seeks to join the legion. What do the auguries say?" Lee-Ann stepped forward, Emily closed her eyes and prayed that the auguries were favorable to Percy.

"I have read the entrails! The auguries are favorable. He is qualified to serve!"

"Ave!" Frank was a little late with his ave, so it had come out as a high pitched echo, the legionnaires snickered. Emily rolled her eyes when they did that, Frank may not look like much and was clumsy, but Emily knows he was a good guy from the amount of time she talked to him. That if he was given a chance that he would be able to prove himself as a roman, but with how he was being treated, it wouldn't happen in the near future. Than gains anything was possible in this world as she learned over the years. Reyna had motion the senior officers forward once for each cohort. The most senior one was from the second cohort and he turned to Percy.

"Recruit, do you have credentials? Letters of reference?"

"Letters? Um, no." It was clear that the officer was not thrilled about this and that he expected letters from Percy with what happened that morning.

"No letters. Will any legionnaires stand for him?" Freak stepped forward.

"I will! He saved my life!" There was shouts of protest from the other cohorts, Emily looked at Arabella of who rolled her eyes as the Romans protested. Even though the Romans were more warlike an the Greeks, the Romans can be whiny at times. Whiny and warlike don't mix, so Emily stepped forward and walked down the street, as she did so that the cohorts fell silent till Emily stood in front of the Romans in plain sight.

"He might be a probatio, but he has a fair point, Percy had saved him. Not only that but Percy carried Juno over the little Tiber. He used the river to destroy the two gorgons. Tell me than, who here can say hey and done that." No one said anything, they lowered their heads than Reyna had spoke up.

"Ambassador, like you said, he is a probatio. He hasn't even been claimed yet or even earned his first stripe." Emily turned and faced Reyna, as soon as Emily did that, thst Reyna shrunk away from her from the death glare Emily was giving her. Emily was the only one that could make Reyna feel small and weak, partly because of her hades powers and partly because here was no doubt in any of the Romans her she wasn't a warrior. That she could block heir sword in move before chopping off their heads of which she could do but she never want to do that.

"Are you question a goddess?"

"No. But he is still a probatio."

"If you are so insist about this this I will stand up for him and ask the fifth cohort to take him." Emily glared at the Romans and Reyna looked at the fifth cohort. Than Hazel had stepped forward as well.

"If Emily's backing is not enough, I will stand up for Percy. For not only did he save Frank's life but he saved mine." Emily looked at Hazel with a bit surprised, she didn't expect anyone else to stand up for Percy.

"Very well, Rachel Blackthrone and Hazel Levesque, you may stand for the recruit. Does your cohort accept him?" No one moved or said anything for a few moments till Frank pounded his shield against the ground, the others followed frank's lead. Frank looked at Emily and it was a grateful look. Dakota and Gwen looked at each other with pained looks. Emily knew what the fifth cohorts' reputation was like and she hoped with Percy in the cohort that they may restore their glory.

"My cohort has spoken. We accept the recruit."

"Congratulations, Percy Jackson. You stand on probatio. You will be given a tablet with your name and cohort. In one year's time, or as soon as you complete an act of valor, you will become a full member of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. Serve Rome, obey the rules of the legion, and defend the camp with honor. Senatus Populusque Romanus!" The rest of the legion echoed the cheer, Reyna wheeled her Pegasus away from Percy before she went on after the cheer died die. "Centurions, you and your troops have one hour for dinner. Then we will meet on the Field of Mars. The First and Second Cohorts will defend. The Third, Fourth, and Fifth will attack. Good fortune!"

Emily had walked back to where Nico, Percy and Arabella were as Reyna spoke. After Reyna finished that a bigger cheer had went up for both the war games and for dinner. The five cohorts broke ranks and went to the mess hall. One of the guards had gave Percy his probatio nameplate and he strung it on his camp necklace. Nico was beaming at Hazel as Emily, Percy, Nico, and Arabella made their way to her. Hazel seem surprised that Nico was beaming, Emily was smiling as well, Hazel had seen Emily smile before but not Nico, Emily figure that was why Hazel seem surprised as they made their way to her. "Good job, Sis. That took guts, standing for him."

"Thanks, Hazel, you too Emily. Um, what exactly does it mean—your standing for me?"

"I guarantee your good behavior. I teach you the rules, answer your questions, make sure you don't disgrace the legion."

"And…if I do something wrong?"

"Then I get killed along with you. Hungry? Let's eat." As they walked to the mess hall that Emily spoke to Percy.

"Well it's unlikely they will kill you since it's both me and Hazel standing for you. The legion knows I am one of the more powerful demigods here as well as a warrior. I am also immortal but I can still be killed in battle. Besides there if they managed to kill me as well as Hazel that the legion would have one really really angry lord of the underworld on their tails. I can promise you that he would show no mercy to them more so that I am his heir. But still be careful though Percy, the roman way is a tough to follow at times more so at the start when you have been by yourself for a long time." Percy smiled a little knowing that there he would get killed if he did something wrong.

The camp food was good, but Emily still preferred her own food, but she still allowed the aurae to wait on her. Emily had used her powers that Hestia gave her to taste better or the way Emily was used to tasting it, homemade. Emily had got meat strew like she made at the cabin and during World War II, Hazel got shrimp gumbo but Percy got a cheeseburger and blue coke from the looks of it. Emily chuckled she she saw the blue drink, she meet left enough times to know that he had a thing for blue food and drinks. Emily had a feeling it had something to do with his parents, no matter if it was both or just one of them.

"This makes me happy, I don't know why…but it does." One of the auraes had become visible, an elfin girl in a white silk dress, she giggled as she topped off Percy's drink before disappearing in a gust. The mess hall seemed really nosy that night, it was usually noise but it was more so with laughter echoing off the wall and the rustling of the banners. Emily was sitting at hazel's table of which consist of Hazel and Frank as usual, thee was Nico, Arabella, Percy and Dakota. Emily figured that Dakota as only there to welcome the new recruit, Emily,looked at him wondering of how he found his way here. It was a mystery in the state he was almost always in.

"So. Welcome to the Percy, party. Party, Percy. Whatever." Emily couldn't believe that Dakota could drunk with that drink, of course he was a son of Bacchus, so it wasn't surprised if he had a drinking problem. Emily surprised he didn't get drunk by drinking diet coke or diet Pepsi.

"Um, thanks." Than Percy looked at Emily, Arabella and Nico. "I was wondering if we could talk, you know…about where I might have seen you before."

"Sure. The thing is, I spend most of my time in the Underworld. So unless I met you there somehow—"

"Ambassador from Pluto, they call him. Reyna's never sure what to do with this guy when he visits. You should have seen her face when he showed up with Hazel, asking Reyna to take her in. Um, no offense."

"None taken. Dakota was really helpful, standing for Hazel."

"Yeah, well…She seemed like a good kid. Turned out I was right. Last month, when she saved me from, uh, you know."

"Oh, man! Percy, you should have seen her! That's how Hazel got her stripe. The unicorns decided to stampede—"

"It was nothing."

"Nothing? Dakota would've gotten trampled! You stood right in front of them, shooed them away, saved his hide. I've never seen anything like it." Emily smiled slightly, Emily could tell Hazel was uncomfortable with the way Frank was talking about her. Emily knew it was more of an embarrassment to Hazel this a heroic act in her eyes, Emily had told her that she had to start somewhere even if it seems embarrassing. Emily knew of how Hazel did it to, that act as something that Hazel didn't expect to become a full member of the legion, Percy noticed Hazel studying Hazel.

"Did you and Nico grow up together?"

"No, I found out that Hazel was my sister only recently. She's from New Orleans." Emily had told Hazel that story before Emily dropped her off, but Emily didn't expect Nico to find her and help her to get to Camp Jupiter after Hazel was deemed worthy by Lupa. Emily knew that it hadn't been easy for Hazel to get adjusted to this modern world, Jennifer helped Hazel with that while Emily had been helping Steve adjusting to the modern world along with fighting the battle of the labyrinth and the avenger battle of Manhattan.

"There aren't many of us, so we have to stick together. When I found Hazel—"

"You have other sisters?"

"I have four sisters besides Hazel. Rachel and Arabella are two of my other sisters. But my other sister is died. I saw her spirit a few times in the Underworld, except that the last time I went down there... She was gone. She used to be in Elysium—like, the Underworld paradise—but she chose to be reborn into a new life. Now I'll never see her again. I was just lucky to find Hazel…in New Orleans, I mean." Than Dakota spoke up.

"Unless you believe the rumors. Not saying that I do."

"Rumors?" Than from across the room that Don, a faun, yelled.

"Hazel!" Emily smiled as Don tried to make his way across the room, more than once Emily tried to have the praetors, past and present, to do something about the fauns instead of them being beggars. Emily was disgusted with how the Romans treated the faun and how they were living as beggars. It was unlike with Camp Halfblood of where the satyrs worked for the camp, Emily thought of asking Chiron to help but that wouldn't do her any good. For Chiron didn't have any say in Camp Jupiter. When he managed to get to their table that he leaned over. "My favorite girl! Say, new kid, you going to eat that?"

"Aren't fauns vegetarian?"

"Not the cheeseburger, man! The plate! Hey…what's that smell?"

"Don! Don't be rude."

"No, man, I just—" The house god Vitellius had shimmered into existence standing half embedded in Frank's couch.

"Fauns in the dining hall! What are we coming to? Centurion Dakota, do your duty!"

"I am, I'm having dinner!"

"Man, you've got an empathy link with a faun!" Percy had leaned back from don, Emily started to panic, Emily was aware of Percy's empathy link with Grover but she din't expect anyone to notice it.

"A what?"

"An empathy link! It's real faint, like somebody's suppressed it, but—" Nico had stood up.

"I know what! Hazel, how about we give you and Frank time to get Percy oriented? Dakota and I can visit the praetor's table. Don and Vitellius, you come too. We can discuss strategies for the war games."

"Strategies for losing?"

"Death Boy is right! This legion fights worse than we did in Judea, and that was the first time we lost our eagle. Why, if I were in charge—"

"Could I just eat the silverware first?"

"Let's go!" Emily watched as Nico grabbed Don and Vitellius by their ears, other than Arabella and Emily, Nico was the only other one who could touch the lares.

"Ow! Man, watch the 'fro!"

"Come on, Dakota!" The centurion had got up reluctantly and wiped his mouth of which was pointless since it was permanently stained red.

"Back soon." He shook himself, like a dog before he staggered away.

"What was that about? And what's wrong with Dakota?"

"He's okay. He's a son of Bacchus, the wine god. He's got a drinking problem."

"You let him drink wine?" Emily chuckled when Percy had said that.

"Gods, no! That would be a disaster. He's addicted to red Kool-Aid. Drinks it with three times the normal sugar, and he's already ADHD—you know, attention deficit/hyperactive. One of these days, his head is going to explode." Emily looked at the praetor's table, most of the senior officers were talking with Reyna. Nico and his captives stood just outside of the circle at the table while Dakota was running back and forth along a lone of stacked shields. He was banging his goblet on them like they were a xylophone.

"ADHD, You don't say." Hazel was trying to laugh as well as Emily. Hazel was doing a much better job that Emily was.

"Well…most demigods are. Or dyslexic. Just being a demigod means that our brains are wired differently. Like you—you said you had trouble reading."

"Are you guys that way too?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Back in my day, they just called kids like us 'lazy.'"

"Back in your day?"

"I wish I was ADHD or dyslexic. All I got is lactose intolerance."

"Seriously?" Emily smiled slightly as Frank's shoulders slumped, Frank was one of the few other Romans that didn't seem fully roman. However Frank hadn't been here long and she doesn't know him as well as Hazel. Emily knows that Frank and Hazel heard this, of which was Emily never brought up, that they would be a good couple since they fit so perfectly with each other.

"And I love ice cream, too.…" Percy laughed, Arabella, Jennifer and Hazel joined in the laughing as well, Frank did also join in after a few moments. Emily felt like she was back at the one bar with the howling commandos when they were not doing missions. The only things missing was beers, music and dancing, there are times when all the howling commandos get together and do that. But it was mostly at Emily's cabin and that is the onto reasons she still keeps the chain up now a days for meeting up with the howling commandos, for the chain had become the main base for the howling commandos now that Emily had moved into the tower.m

"Okay, so tell me, why is it bad to be in the Fifth Cohort? You guys are great."

"It's…complicated. Aside from being Pluto's kid, I want to ride horses."

"That's why you use a cavalry sword?"

"It's stupid, I guess. Wishful thinking. There's only one pegasus at camp—Reyna's. The unicorns are just kept for medicine, because the shavings off their horns cure poison and stuff. Anyway, Roman fighting is always done on foot. Cavalry…they kind of look down on that. So they look down on me."

"Their loss. What about you, Frank?"

"Archery. They don't like that either, unless you're a child of Apollo. Then you've got an excuse. I hope my dad is Apollo, but I don't know. I can't do poetry very well. And I'm not sure I want to be related to Octavian."

"Can't blame you. But you're excellent with the bow—the way you pegged those gorgons? Forget what other people think." Frank's face turned as red as Dakota's kook-aid,

"Wish I could. They all think I should be a sword fighter because I'm big and bulky. They say I'm too stocky for an archer. Maybe if my dad would ever claim me…" Percy had looked over at Arabella and Jennifer, Arabella had spoke first.

"Acutely, I not part of the legion, I spend most of my time in the underworld with Rachel and Nico." Than Jennifer spoke.

"I was mainly put in the Fifth cohort because I am also a daughter of Pluto. I am sure that you heard that children of Pluto are bad luck." Than Percy looked at Emily.

"I was in fifth cohort. However that was before the bad reputation had started. After leaving camp that I had fought in World War II before become immortal. Back than the Fifth Cohort was the best." After that, that they ate in silence for a few minutes. Emily could relate of how it felt not to be claimed by your godly parent, it had took two weeks for her mother to claim her. She knows Percy could relate even though he couldn't remember and Hazel could relate as well.

"You asked about the Fifth. Why it's the worst cohort. That actually started way before us, at least for myself, Jennifer and Frank." Hazel pointed to the back wall where the legion's standards were.

"See the empty pole in the middle?"

"The eagle." Emily raised an eyebrow when Percy said that, it was amusing at times he will say something stupid but than he will say something unexpected and smart. Hazel was stunned when Percy said that.

"How'd you know?"

"Vitellius was talking about how the legion lost its eagle a long time ago—the first time, he said. He acted like it was a huge disgrace. I'm guessing that's what's missing. And from the way you and Reyna were talking earlier, I'm guessing your eagle got lost a second time, more recently, and it had something to do with the Fifth Cohort."

"You're right. That's exactly what happened."

"So what is this eagle, anyway? Why is it a big deal?" Frank had looked around as he looked around that Frank spoke in a whisper. So at the ones at the there could only hear.

"It's the symbol of the whole camp—a big eagle made of gold. It's supposed to protect us in battle and make our enemies afraid. Each legion's eagle gave it all sorts of power, and ours came from Jupiter himself. Supposedly Julius Caesar nicknamed our legion 'Fulminata'—armed with lightning—because of what the eagle could do."

"I don't like lightning."

"Yeah, well, it didn't make us invincible. The Twelfth lost its eagle the first time way back in ancient days, during the Jewish Rebellion."

"I think I saw a movie like that."

"Could be. There have been lots of books and movies about legions losing their eagles. Unfortunately it happened quite a few times. The eagle was so important…well, archaeologists have never recovered a single eagle from ancient Rome. Each legion guarded theirs to the last man, because it was charged with power from the gods. They'd rather hide it or melt it down than surrender it to an enemy. The Twelfth was lucky the first time. We got our eagle back. But the second time…"

"You guys were there?"

"I'm almost as new as you. Just got here last month. But everyone's heard the story. It's bad luck to even talk about this. There was this huge expedition to Alaska back in the eighties.…" Emily went on.

"I am sure you notice that prophecy, the prophecy of the eight and the doors of death? The senior praetor, at the time, was Michael Varus, from the fifth cohort. It was during this time that the fifth cohort was the best and had been for many years. Foolishly, he thought he could figure out the prophecy of the eight and make it come true and safe the world from storm and fire. He spoke with the augur at that time and the augur said that the answer was in Alaska. The augur had warned Michael that it wasn't time for the prophecy of the eight and that it wasn't for him."

"But he went anyway. What happened?" Emily,lowered her voice and went on.

"Long, gruesome story. Almost the entire Fifth Cohort was wiped out. Most of legion's Imperial gold weapons were lost, along with the eagle. The survivors went crazy or refused to talk about what had attacked them. Since the eagle was lost, the camp has been getting weaker. Quests are more dangerous. Monsters attack the borders more often. Morale is lower. The last month or so, things have been getting much worse, much faster."

"And the Fifth Cohort took the blame. So now everyone thinks we're cursed." Hazel had took a sip of a spoonful before she spoke.

"We've been the outcasts of the legion since…well, since the Alaska disaster. Our reputation got better when Jason became praetor—" Emily sighed when Hazel brought up Jason, not once had she told any of the Romans that he knows where Jason was and that he was alive. Not only that but he remembers much of his life and was close of coming here to Camp Jupiter.

"The kid who's missing?"

"Yeah, I never met him. Before my time. But I hear he was a good leader. He practically grew up in the Fifth Cohort. He didn't care what people thought about us. He started to rebuild our reputation. Then he disappeared."

"Which put us back at square one. Made us look cursed all over again. I'm sorry, Percy. Now you know what you've gotten yourself into." Percy sipped his blue soda and gazed thoughtfully across the dinning hall, Emily wondered if there was anything he could remember.

"I don't even know where I come from…but I've got a feeling this isn't the first time I've been an underdog. Besides, joining the legion is better than being chased through the wilderness by monsters. I've got myself some new friends. Maybe together we can turn things around for the Fifth Cohort, huh?" A horn blew at the end of the hall, the officers had got to their feet, even Dakota of which was surprising considering his state.

"The games begin!" The campers chewed and rushed to collect their equipment.

"So we're the attacking team?Is that good?"

"Good news: we get the elephant. Bad news—"

"Let me guess. The Fifth Cohort always loses." Frank slapped Percy on the shoulder as Emily and Arabella got up from where they were sitting.

"I love this guy. Come on, new friend. Let's go chalk up my thirteenth defeat in a row!"


	10. Chapter 10

Emily and Arabella joined Nico in the observation tower a hundred yards away and all three of them had binoculars. She looked where Frank was, she remembered what Hers told her when she appeared to Jason and herself at the big house and she told Emily she meet all eight but one. When Frank had come along that Hera appeared to her in a dream and told Emily of who the eight were and told her to inform Bucky, Steve and Lauren since they the other three that were to help and fight along the eight. He four of them were not part of the eight but apparently they had a part to play in the prophecy of which was do to make sure the camp work together. All four of them were leaders at one point or still had and managed to bring together teams that fought. Emily figured that Hera hoped with their knowledge and experience that they could help smooth things out with the Romans and Greeks.

It was during that dream that Hera told Emily of what Frank could do but he had to learn it himself. Hera had even brought up that he bears the curse of Meleager, that was one of the first things that Hera told her and Emily was filled with panic when Hera said that. For she knew what that meant, that Frank had too many gifts, Emily had too many gifts too but hers had come over the years from blessings of the gods. But Frank was born with this gifts, there was a huge difference between her and Frank. Emily doesn't use all of her blessings, she never used Hecate's blessing and Emily had only got that blessing because of Hogwarts. Emily had looked away from Frank and at the fort that they would try to storm, it was one of the better forts that they had built. It was a stone fortress with iron portcullis, guard towers, scorpion ballistse, water cannons and other things.

The cohorts, that were attacking the fort, formed rank. The third and fourth cohorts assembled as far as possible from the fifth, that Emily's blood boil. Ever since the fifth cohort had lost the eagle that life had never be fair for them, things were worse for Camp Jupiter since than. Emily could understood that the Romans were not thrilled about losing the eagle but they really shouldn't blame the whole fifth cohort just because of one stupid demigod. Reyna was high above on her Pegasus, skippy ready to play referee. Half a dozen giant eagles flew in formation behind her, the eagles were for ambulance airlift if necessary. In many ways war games was like capture the flag but in many ways it wasn't for it wasn't played in a forest. Emily had saw Frank checking Percy's armor to make sure Percy done it right, Emily knows that Percy did do it right for he had out enough armor to know how.

Emily had noticed Percy's sword, riptide, in his hand for it was not hard to miss just like Jason's sword was not that hard to miss in Camp Halfblood, even Emily's and Nick's Stygian iron swords stood out.

The only thing that wasn't regulation was Percy's glowing bronze sword—not Imperial gold, and not a gladius. The blade was leaf-shaped, and the writing on the hilt was Greek. Horns blew, she watched Dakota and Gwen walked back from the other officers and back to their cohorts. Emily watched as Gwen gave orders and the fifth cohort broke rank to soften the defense of which was usually the case. Emily noticed that Frank, Hazel and Percy had went to the weakest point and were using tunnels to get there. Emily smiled slightly, she remembered the labyrinth, she wished that they could have used Hazel for the labyrinth. Since she could direct the tunnels and such, Emily could have but she was unsure if she would have been able to do it. She wasn't sure if Hazel could do it. When they were in he tunnel that she couldn't see them as well. There was another explosion and a minute later, Hazel, Percy and Frank had popped out of a hole ear the east wall.

The first and second cohorts were attacking the turtle for Zion of the fifth cohorts. A water cannon discharged and water made a trench in front of the fifth cohort. What made Emily made was that the third and fourth cohorts were not even advancing, they just stood back and laughed and watched the fifth cohort get best up. For the past few months Emily had told them to attack like a legion of which they didn't most of the time. Emily watched as Frank shot an arrow with a rope attached to it, than some of her defenders saw Frank, Percy and Hazel. They turned one of the water cannons at the three of them, when the defenders did that, that Emily smiled for she knew that was a bad idea. Emily saw Percy raised his hand as one of the defenders was about ready to shoot the water at them. KA-BOOM! Emily, Nico and Arabella had cheered when the noise was made for they knew that was going to happen.

The cannon, itself, had exploded in a starburst of blue, green and white, the defenders screamed as a watery shock wave flattened them against the battlements. Nico, Emily and Arabella started laughing as the defenders started struggling or fell from he walls from the water wave. Eagles had snatched up the kids and carried them to safety, the entire eastern wall shuddered as the explosion backed up through the pipelines, so that each and every water cannons exploded. The scorpions' fire were doused from the water, many of the defenders were confused form the sudden change in plan. Some of them were tossed through the sir giving the eagles quite a workout, the fifth cohort forget about their formation and lowered their shields to stare at the chaos. As the chairs went on that Emily had put her hand out and looked at Arabella and Nico and spoke.

"For Greece!" Nico and Arabella smiled, Nico out his hand over her hand, Arabella out her hand over Nico's hand, than Emily out her hand on top of Nico's hand. Nico and Arabella followed suit, Emily courted to three and when she reached three that they yelled at the same time but no one could hear them.

"For Greece." They lifted the hands in the air before high five each other. When Emily looked back that she saw Frank climbing up the fort with the rope form his arrow the fifth cohort started attacking once more, Emily smiled as she watched the fifth cohort they were fighting like how they used to before the eagle was lost. Hazel had followed Frank and than Percy had climbed last. As Frank, Percy and Hazel fought at she saw that they fought like a team, it was like watching Percy, Annabeth and Grover. During this that the third and fourth cohort had called a battle cry and went to attack, after realizing that the fifth cohort had got inside. Emily Nico and Arabella cheered as the first and second cohort, the 'oh so' pride of Camp Jupiter, fell apart under the assault of being on the losing side.

Part of the defenders problem was Percy of who was fighting like a demon, he was fighting I what the Romans would think was an unorthodox manner and style, but in truth it was the Greek training that Percy was using so it was the Greek style at Emily, Nico and Arabella used. Percy kept rolling under their feet, slashing his sword instead of stabbing like a roman would, whacking campers with he felt of his blade of which caused mass panic. The senior centurion of the first cohort screamed in a shrill voice of which was panic for a roman to do in a middle of a war, even if it was a game. Thankfully Percy had put a stop to it by somer saulted over a line of shields and slammed the butt of his sword into the helmet of the centurion and the centurion collapsed like a sock puppet. As the fifth cohort fought that Emily, Arabella and Nico started chanting one word.

"Graecus! Graecus! Graecus!" Than Hazel rode the Hannibal into the room with the banners and came out with Percy and Frank on the back of Hannibal with the two banners. The fifth cohort formed ranks around them and together they paraded out of the fort, Emily and the other two cheered as they left the fort. Out of the corner of her eye that she noticed the centurion that Percy knocked was up and he was behind Gwen of who hadn't noticed him. Than he stabbed her from being with the pilum he was holdings it was than at she heard Reyna say the fame was won and to assemble. As the groups regrouped hat Emily shadow travel in front of the Romans, when she appeared in felt of them that they stopped. The one centurion had just left the fort and stopped just outside of the fort, Emily pushed back the Romans and marched over over to him and grabbed him by his armor and pulled him off the ground. The Romans backed away as Emily spoke.

"Explain yourself."

"I don't know what you ... " Emily shook him when he said that and she yelled at him.

"DON'T LIE TO ME NOW, I SAW WHAT YOU DID, YOU STABBED GWEN IN THE BACK AFTER THE GAME WAS WON!"

"Ambassador, you can't cloak he did such a thing ... " before she could finished that Nico spoke.

"Oh yes she can." Nico and Arabella walked out of the fort and between them was Gwen on a stretcher and they set up her down. There was a pilum sticking out of her armor and there was blood everywhere, the Romans ran over to Gwen as Reyna walked over to the centurion and looked him at the eye.

"Why did you do it?" The boy glared at Reyna.

"The game was still going on!"

"No it wasn't and you know it." Emily touched his forehead and pulled she hand back as a shadow emerged and a memory was replayed. Frank, Percy and Hazel were getting off of Hannibal as the centurion stabbed Gwen in the back. When the shadow disappeared that the centurion was shaky badly now. Emily glared at him and spoke.

"Explain yourself." He kept his mouth closed, Emily took off her necklace and swished it and put her sword against his throat. "Tell me now or I will make sure you will get a worse punishment than the last augur." At that he seem to regain his voice,

"The game was unfair." Emily put the sword more against his throat so st blood appeared.

"So you took a life because a game was unfair. News flash, life is not fair. Honestly you wish you would have killed yourself and have your worst nightmare come true in the after life, I am telling you now that your life and afterlife will be worse than anything you can think of." Before Emily could say or do any more that Nico shouted.

"Emily!" Emily turned around and she lowered the centurion down but her kept an arm around hai shoulder and kept her sword against his throat. Emily gasp slightly as Gwen's life aura had come back and than she gasp than Gwen opened her eyes. Everyone took a step back from her, even Arabella, Nico and Emily. Emily looked at Nico and Arabella and they looked at her. They all knew death was captured but the last thing they expected was for her to come back to life. When Emily looked back at Gwen that the color returned to her face.

"Wh-what is it? What's everyone staring at?" Than a medic had spoke up from behind Frank.

"There's no way. She was dead. She has to be dead." Gwen tried to sit up but couldn't.

"There was a river, and a man asking…for a coin? I turned around and the exit door was open. So I just…I just left. I don't understand. What's happened?" Everyone stared at her in horror, no body tried to help her till Frank knelt next to her.

"Gwen. Don't try to get up. Just close your eyes for a second, okay?"

"Why? What—"

"Just trust me." Gwen closed her eyes, Frank grabbed the shaft of the pilum below it's tip. Emily could see Frank's hands were shaking. Than he looked at Hazel and Percy.

"Percy, Hazel—help me." It seemed that one of the medics and everyone else realized what he was thinking.

"Don't! You might—"

"What? Make it worse?" Emily spoke.

"It will only be worse if it remains there." Frank took a breath as Percy and Hazel hold Gwen steady.

"Hold her steady. One, two, three!" Frank pulled the pilum out from the front and Gwen didn't wince and the blood stopped quickly. Hazel looked down at the wound, Emily looked at it, there was no hint that there was wound at all. Expect for the broken armor and weapon, that was all the proof there was now.

"It's closing on its own, I don't know how, but—"

"I feel fine, What's everyone worried about?" With Frank's and Percy's help that Gwen got to her feet, Frank glowered at the centurion that Emily was holding. She was sure that if Emily, Nico and Arabella hadn't seen it that the centurion would be smirking.

"Gwen, there's no easy way to say this. You were dead. Somehow you came back."

"I…what? How—how?"

"Good question." Reyna turned to Nico, Arabella and Emily. "Is this some power of Pluto?" Emily shook her head when Reyna said that and spoke

"Pluto never lets people return from the dead." Before Emily could say anything more that there was a thunderous voice rolled across the field.

'Death loses it's hold. This is only the beginning.' Campers drew weapons, Hannibal trumpeted nervously, skipped reared almost throwing Reyna off. Emily kept her hold on the centurion of who tried to get away from her hold.  
When the voice had come.

"I know that voice."

Emily shook her head when Percy said thar, Emily knows why that voice sounded familiar to him, for she knows the voice all too well and it was one of the last people she didn't want to see. In the midst of the legion, a column of fire blasted into the sir. Everyone had scrambled backward as a huge soldier stepped out of the explosion. The soldier was ten feet tall and was dressed in Canadian forces desert camouflage, he radiated confidence and power. His black hair was cut in a similar manner as Frank's hair, hai face was angular and brutal, his face was marked with old knife scars. His eyes were covered with infrared goggles that glowed from the inside, he wore a utility belt with a sidearm, a knife holster and grenades, in his hands was an oversized M16 rifle. While everyone but Emily and Frank took a step back that Frank took a few steps forward whisk Emily remained where she was. Frank took three more steps before he knelt. Everyone followed Frank's lead but Emily and Percy.

"That's good. Kneeling is good. It's been a long time since I've visited Camp Jupiter." Frank must of notice Percy not kneeling, Percy was glaring at the solider.

"You're Ares, What do you want?" Emily snorted when Percy said that, Mars looked at her for a moment before he looked back at Percy. There was a collective gasp that had come from the Romans and Hannibal, Mars bared his teeth at Percy.

"You've got spunk, demigod. Ares is my Greek form. But to these followers, to the children of Rome, I am Mars—patron of the empire, divine father of Romulus and Remus."

"We've met? We…we had a fight.…"

"I fight a lot of people. But I assure you—you've never fought me as Mars. If you had, you'd be dead. Now, kneel, as befits a child of Rome, before you try my patience." Around Mars's feet that the ground boiled in a circle of flame.

"Percy, please." Mars looked over at Emily and gestured her forward of which she did with the centurion at she was holding. When Emily reached Mars that he lowered himself and looked at the centurion and spoke.

"You have shamed Rome toward boy. What do you have to say for yourself." The centurion lowered his head and said nothing. Mars looked at Emily before he spoke. "Princess, I had spoke with your father before coming here. I had ask him to give this roman to be out under my care as one of my died and I will make sure he will pay his price for what he has done."

"Sounds fair enough, Lord Mars." Emily let go of the centurion. Before he centurion could move or say anything that Mars touched his forward and he become a skeleton. There was a gasp that came from the Romans once more as Emily stepped back but remained standing. As Mars stood up that the skeleton had sank into the ground below and Mars scanned the crowd.

"Romans, lend me your ears! I've always wanted to say that. I come from Olympus with a message. Jupiter doesn't like us communicating directly with mortals, especially nowadays, but he has allowed this exception, as you Romans have always been my special people. I'm only permitted to speak for a few minutes, so listen up." He pointed to Gwen. "This one should be dead, yet she's not. The monsters you fight no longer return to Tartarus when they are slain. Some mortals who died long ago are now walking the earth has been chained."

"The Doors of Death have been forced open, and no one is policing them—at least, not impartially. Gaea allows our enemies to pour forth into the world of mortals. Her sons the giants are mustering armies against you—armies that you will not be able to kill. Unless Death is unleashed to return to his duties, you will be overrun. You must find Thanatos and free him from the giants. Only he can reverse the tide." Mars looked around. "Oh, you can get up now. Any questions?" Everyone rose, Reyna approached the god followed by Lee-Ann. She bowed before she spoke.

"Lord Mars, we are honored."

"Well?"

"Well," Thanatos is the god of death, the lieutenant of Pluto?"

"Right."

"And you're saying that he's been captured by giants."

"Right."

"And therefore people will stop dying?"

"Not all at once, But the barriers between life and death will continue to weaken. Those who know how to take advantage of this will exploit it. Monsters are already harder to dispatch. Soon they will be completely impossible to kill. Some demigods will also be able to find their way back from the Underworld—like your friend Centurion Shishkebab."

"Centurion Shish kebab?"

"If left unchecked, even mortals will eventually find it impossible to die. Can you imagine a world in which no one dies—ever?"

"But, Lord Mars, if we can't die, isn't that a good thing? If we can stay alive indefinitely—" Emily looked at Lee-Ann as she said that, she didn't understand that not fpdyign was not always the best thing.

"Don't be foolish, girl! Endless slaughter with no conclusion? Carnage without any point? Enemies that rise again and again and can never be killed? Is that what you want?"

"You're the god of war. Don't you want endless carnage?"

"Insolent, aren't you? Perhaps I have fought you before. I can understand why I'd want to kill you. I'm the god of Rome, child. I am the god of military might used for a righteous cause. I protect the legions. I am happy to crush my enemies underfoot, but I don't fight without reason. I don't want war without will discover this. You will serve me."

"Not likely." Mars just grinned when Percy said that.

"I order a quest! You will go north and find Thanatos in the land beyond the gods. You will free him and thwart the plans of the giants. Beware Gaea! Beware her son, the eldest giant!" Hazel had made a squeaking sound when Mars said that.

"The land beyond the gods?" Mars stared down at Hazel his grip tightening on his M16

"That's right, Hazel Levesque. You know what I mean. Everyone here remembers the land where the legion lost its honor! Perhaps if the quest succeeds, and you return by the Feast of Fortuna…perhaps then your honor will be restored. If you don't succeed, there won't be any camp left to return to. Rome will be overrun, its legacy lost forever. So my advice is: Don't fail."

"Um, Lord Mars, just one tiny thing. A quest requires a prophecy, a mystical poem to guide us! We used to get them from the Sibylline books, but now it's up to the augur to glean the will of gods. So if I could just run and get about seventy stuffed animals and possibly a knife—"

"You're the augur?"

"Y-yes, my lord." Mars pulled as doll from his utility belt

"Anyone got a pen?" Everyone stared at Mars when he asked him that question, than he sighed.

"Two hundred Romans, and no one's got a pen? Never mind!" He slung his M16 onto his back and pulled out a hand grenade, there were many screaming Romans. Than the grenade morphed into a ballpoint pen and Mars began to write. Emily saw Frank mouth to Percy asking if his pen could do that and Percy mouthed back no and shut up. Emily snorted when she saw that. "There!" Mars finished writing and threw the scroll at Lee-Ann. "A prophecy. You can add it to your books, engrave it on your floor, whatever." Lee-Ann read the scroll

"This says, 'Go to Alaska. Find Thanatos and free him. Come back by sundown on June twenty-fourth or die.'"

"Yes. Is that not clear?"

"Well, my lord…usually prophecies are unclear. They're wrapped in riddles. They rhyme, and…" Mars took off another grenade from his belt.

"Yes?"

"The prophecy is clear!nA quest!"

"Good answer. Now, what else? There was something else.…Oh, yes." Emily knew what was doing when Mars turned to Frank. "C'mere, kid." Frank walked forward, it seemed to be against his will. Nice job taking the wall, kid. Who's the ref for this game?" Reyna raised her hand.

"You see that play, ref? That was my kid. First over the wall, won the game for his team. Unless you're blind, that was an MVP play. You're not blind, are you?"

"No, Lord Mars."

"Then make sure he gets the Mural kid, here!" As Mars yelled at the legion that she looked at Frank of who looked like he wanted to melt into the dirt. "Emily Zhang's son. She was a good soldier. Good woman. This kid Frank proved his stuff tonight. Happy late birthday, kid. Time you stepped up to a real man's weapon." Mars tossed the M16 at Frank, as the gun was in midair that it changed till Frank caught of which changed into a spear. Her shaft was imperial gold but the point was white bone flickering with those light. "The tip is a dragon's tooth,mYou haven't learned to use your mom's talents yet, have you? Well—that spear will give you some breathing room until you do. You get three charges out of it, so use it wisely. Now, my kid Frank Zhang is gonna lead the quest to free Thanatos, unless there are any objections?" No one said anything, many of the campers glared at Frank with different emotions, envy, jealously, anger and bitterness.

"You can take two companions. Those are the rules. One of them needs to be this kid." Mars pointed at Percy. "He's gonna learn some respect for Mars on this trip, or die trying. As for the second, I don't care. Pick whomever you want. Have one of your senate debates. You all are good at those." The god's image flickered and lightning crackled across the sky. "That's my cue. Until next time, Romans. Do not disappoint me!" The god erupted in flames and he was gone. Reyna turned toward Frank, Emily noticed her expression was part amazement, part nausea. Than she raised her arm in a roman salute.

"Ave, Frank Zhang, son of Mars." The whole legion followed her lead, Emily looked at Frank with pity, if he was Greek and he was still the same she would feel worse. Honestly Mars was better than Ares, however mars didn't give him a good birthday present, what Frank got was a death sentence.


	11. Chapter 11

After what happened at the field of Mars that it seem to being everyone on edge, Emily walked back to her house while Arabella and Nico went to where they were to sleep. Normally whey Arabella spent the nights here she would stay with Emily but if Nico was here that she would go with Nico. Emily wasn't going to make Arabella stay with her, that was one thing Emily never wants to do with Arabella. Emily just wants to be her sister and she knows Arabella and Nico were closer to each other than she was to either one. Seeing the two of them together reminded her in a way of Steve and herself or even Phil and herself. Out of all he demigods, she knows how important family was, being the champion of Hestia comes with that and knowing how deep the connection was better family members. Emily pulled herself out of her thoughts as she reached her house and went inside, when she was inside that she noticed she wasn't alone. Sitting on the couch was Aubrey, she turned around when Emily had entered the house.

Emily was slightly surprised that Aubrey was here in her house, since Phil hadn't come with her. Honestly this was one time she was glad that Thor and Bucky left earlier as well as Phil not being there with her. None of them seen her get as angry or as mad as the Romans did when they did something like the one centurion did. The last time she was that angry was when she punished Octavian for being a traitor and the entire camp say what she did to him. However she couldn't say if New Rome had saw what she did but it was clear that they heard what she did during that time by since stopped. Emily wondered why Aubrey was here, for the most part she was in Portland but she comes and visit New Rome from time to time. For camp Jupiter was part of her past like World War II was part of Emily's past, even though Emily wants to forget about most of what happen in World War II. Emily walked over to Aubrey and sat next to her before she spoke.

"What brings you here?" Aubrey was fiddling with her fingers as she did so that she spoke.

"I heard about the new legionnaire and what happen today and at the war games."

"I think it would be hard for any Romans not to know by tomorrow. But what of it."

"Is it true?"

"What is true?" Aubrey took a breath and let go before she spoke.

"That Percy is a Graecus?" Emily raised her eyebrow when Aubrey said that.

"What makes you think he is a Graecus?" Aubrey looked over at Emily.

"From the things I heard from the lares as well as what happened. Not only that but it sounds like he kept using the Greek names of the gods."

"Does this worry you or something?"

"No, but I want to know if Percy is in truth a Greek demigod?" Emily stood up and walked over to a wall before turning back to Aubrey and leaned against the wall. Ever since she brought Phil here to camp Jupiter, and Aubrey and Phil started dating again that Emily was worried that Aubrey might figure out about the two groups of demigods.

"Is there any other reason of you are asking this?"

"Yes, after Phil said he was a legacy of Ceres and as I hang around him more as well as with you that I notice something. That Phil doesn't act like a roman at all. You act like a roman and know how they think and everything, as well as knowing how to punish a roman for his wrong doings like with Octavian and the one roman centurion tonight. But you also don't act like a roman either for the most part, you are a warrior but a different kind of warrior one who can stand alone without being part of a cohort and the same is with Phil. Of I didn't know any better that you two are Greek demigods. Considering with what is happening and everyone saying east is bad luck and that the Greek half was saved after Rome fell that it would make sense if the gods had a roman and Greek aspect." Emily tilted her head when Aubrey said that.

"Even if your guess is right, would you even care that Phil was a Greek demigod?"

"No. I love him too much to even care if he is a Greek demigod." Emily smiled slightly when Aubrey said that. Emily walked back over to Aubrey and held her hand to Aubrey, she looked a little confused till Emily spoke.

"I know you loved him, I will admit that I was slightly worried whenever he was here." Aubrey was about ready to say something but Emily went on. "You already know why Aubrey, however there were other things I was worried about, dating demigods with living in the mortal world is difficult but add the fact you are roman and he is Greek, that there was a chance that it could tear you apart. However the first time you two were torn apart that it had noting to do with being demigods. Watching you two for the last few months that I know how you two feel about each other."

"So it's true that you, Phil and Percy are Greek."

"Yes, Percy is a son of Poseidon. Phil is a son of Demeter and my half brother on my mother's side. Don't blame him with the legacy of Ceres that was my doing, I needed to make sure he would blend in here. It would seem odd if I said he was a son of Ceres since I was the one bringing him. But it would be better if Phil explains more to you since he knows you better. I can fill in anything he left out, for I know he doesn't know everything." Aubrey took her hand and they were engulf in shadows and they reappeared just outside of the avenger tower. Aubrey looked up at it in surprise before she looked around, Emily thought of changing her appearance but decided not to since the avengers seen her in both appearance enough times to know both appearances.

"We are in New York."

"Yes, this where the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters is, knowing Phil he is either at the headquarters, at home or here." Emily walked into the tower followed by Aubrey, once inside that Emily gestured for Aubrey to stop for a moment. Aubrey stood still when Emily did hat, than Emily spoke. "J.A.R.V.I.S." Emily could see the confused look on Aubrey's face till J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke.

"Good evening, Miss Barnes." Aubrey looked shock when she heard J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke.

"Aubrey, that is J.A.R.V.I.S. He is a computer and a butler. He takes care of the building and assist any of the avengers when we need him." Aubrey looked stunned, Emily than spoke to J.A.R.V.I.S. "J.A.R.V.I.S., is Phil Coulson here?"

"He's down in the lab with Mr. Stark, ma'am." Emily figured that was likely, it seemed like half of the time Phil was here that he was either talking to Emily, Steve or Tony. Emily started to walk to the elevator gesturing for Aubrey to join her as she spoke to J.A.R.V.I.S. once more.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., send the elevator up and let Phil Coulson and Tony know at I will coming down there with a friend. Also inform all of the avengers and the other residents know that I would be spending the night at Camp Jupiter."

"Will do, Miss Barnes." When J.A.R.V.I.S. stopped talking that the elevator opened, Emily and Aubrey went inside. Once the doors closed that they started going down, Aubrey than spoke.

"Emily, what lab?"

"You will see." When the doors open that they stepped out into a lab, it looked like a mix of a garage and a science lab. For there cars as well different things that was being worked or or build as well as a bunch of iron suits including some of the Iron Patriot suits. Emily couldn't help but giggle when she saw those three suits, for they were designed after Steve's uniform. Sure, her uniform had similar designs and Steve's but it was clear that the design of the iron patriot had come from Steve's uniform. However there two other people in the room, one was Tony and he was wearing a black sabbath shirt and jeans. The other was Phil and he was wearing his usual suit, of which Emily was used to seeing him after him being in S.H.I.E.L.D. for so long. The only thing she was used to see him in was the orange camp Halfblood shirt and jeans. It was still a strange sight to her seeing Phil wearing a purple camp Jupiter shirt. Aubrey was looking around in amazement, it seem like she hadn't noticed Phil or Tony yet, of which was fine since Phil and Tony still hadn't noticed them yet either. It wasn't till Tony spoke that Aubrey had noticed Phil and Tony in the middle of the room.

"You always seem to do this half of the time you come here. You always to keep looking after me." Aubrey looked at Emily when Tony said that with a confused look on her face. Emily mouthed, this is normal for this two. Than Phil spoke.

"That is because you act like you did back under the house arrest."

"Yeah so. Are you still going to say the same thing as you did back than." As Tony spoke that Emily had gestured Aubrey to move against the wall and into the shadows of which she did do. Emily walked forward quietly behind Tony, Phil had saw Emily walking up behind Tony. As Emily walked behind Tony that she mouthed, go on ahead and say it.

"'If you try to play any sort of games with me, I will taze you and watch "Supernanny" while you drool into the carpet.'" Emily was sure that Aubrey was close of laughing when Phil said that, every time Emily heard Phil say that she would burst into laughter or would be close to it. Emily was just behind Tony when he spoke.

"You say that. Most of the time when you come ... " Tony didn't even get to finish for Emily had jumped and filled before hitting the back of the chair that Tony was in. When Emily hit the chair with her feet that Tony fell off the side of the chair and the chair had landed a few feet from where it was on it's side. Phil had jumped to one side as it moved past him, Tony looked up at Emily in somewhat surprise like usually when he knows she was here or coming down here.

"That he does. Like every other time you fell for that trick." Tony started to stand up as he spoke.

"The only reason I fall for that trick is because you so quiet and Phil never gives it away." Emily snorted when Tony said that.

"Of course he doesn't, he is an agent and he is the director. Not only that but Phil are demigods. What do you expect candy?" Toy gave her a dirty look when she said that.

"You two can be too much like super nannies." Emily smiled and looked at Phil when Tony said that, Phil was close of laughing. When he opened his mouth that she thought he was going to laugh but he spoke.

"As for Emily, that is because of her mother. That is one reason for me. But most of it is because I keep having to look after the avengers or most of them anyway." Phil had looked at Emily said that, thns he spoke.

"J.A.R.V.I.S. told us you were coming down here with friend. But I don't see the friend." Tony looked around when Phil said that.

"Me neither, where is he?" Emily raised her eyebrow when Tony said that. Tony shrugged before he spoke. "I assume it was your one half adopted brother, what's his name." Emily laughed when Tony said that.

"If it was Nico or any of my siblings, I would have said siblings when you were informed not a friend."

"Who is it than? And where is the friend?" Emily didn't say anything when Phil said that, instead she turned and looked to where Aubrey was. Even though she was in the corner and the shadows, Emily could see her clearly due to her night version. But Emily knew that Tony and Phil couldn't see her, plus Emily had made sure that the darkness and shadows were thicker when Aubrey went into the corner. As Aubrey stepped out of the corner that she allowed the darkness and shadows to return to their normal state. When Aubrey had come out of the corner that she ran over to Phil and hugged him and he he hugged but he was surprised though. As he hugged her that he looked at Emily.

"You brought her, why?" Emily had got onto a table and sat down before she spoke.

"She managed to figure out about the two groups of demigods. So I brought her to tell her more about it since you know her better than I do. She also figured out that we are Greeks as well." Phil looked down at her.

"How did you figure that out." Aubrey pulled away from Phil and spoke.

"A new demigod entered the camp and with what happen today and some other hints that I guessed that the Greek demigods were still around and I went to Emily to confirm it and she did." Phil looked at Emily, Emily spoke.

"A certain son of Neptune by the name of Percy Jackson entered the camp this morning. Like with a certain son of Zeus, Percy has no memories expect for his name at the very least." Emily had jumped off the table as Tony spoke.

"So you found Percy than?"

"Yes and no. Yes, I know where he is. No, because he is suppose to find his own way though the camp and back home." Tony looked confused but looked at Phil and Aubrey of who were holding hands.

"Who are you?"

"Aubrey Nathan, daughter of Apollo." Tony looked between Phil and Emily, Emily spoke.

"You would know her better as the cellist." Tony looked surprised when Emily said that, Emily walked towards one of the shadows and spoke. "I would stay longer but I need to get back, there's a senate meeting tomorrow and I would need to be there." Before Emily was engulf by shadows that Phil spoke.

"Emily, you don't need attend every senate meant." Emily turned and looked at him.

"I know, but with this meeting, I must be there. After the meeting that I will come back here, provides that you hadn't tasered Tony and are whacking super nanny." Before Tony or Phil could say anything that Emily ran Into the shadows and was engulf by the shadows and reappear in her bedroom in Camp Jupiter. When the next morning arrived that Emily went to breakfast wearing her orange toga, before she wore a black toga but since Nico was the ambassador of Pluto that he was the ones that wears it. Emily noticed that she was the only used to wearing the toga, though she doesn't like wearing the toga though. As Emily sat down with her food that she noticed that everyone was looking at Percy and she could hear the whispering about him.

"Two gods in one day…"

"Un-Roman fighting…"

"Water cannon up my nose…" Emily chuckled slightly, if they knew what Percy had been doing for the last four to five years they wouldn't be talking about Percy like that. Emily noticed of how much Percy put on his plate, Emily thought he would have eaten more but Reyna had announced that the senate would convene in the city now. So everyone that was wearing togas got up as well as Frank, Hazel and Percy. Emily had noticed the one lares appeared next to Hazel, Percy and Frank. Reyna and Lee-Ann Lee the procession of senator out of the camp, Reyna's dogs dashed back and forth along the road. Emily was walking along with Frank, Hazel and Percy, Emily noticed that Nico was talking and walking with Gwen. Gwen looked pale but she looked healthy since she died last night, last night made Emily knew that the underworld was getting harder to control but she never thought that people would come back alive other than Hazel.

In Hazel's case it was different since Hades asked her to being her back to the world of the living or at least his way of asking. Besides Hazel was one of the eight in the prophecy so she was meant to come back to help with the prophecy. Otherwise they may not succeed of defeating Gaea, if there was only seven of the eight that were foretold. Emily noticed that Nico waved at Percy before he went back to his conversation with Gwen. Emily knew that Nico was avoiding Percy due to the fact that Nico knows Percy just like Emily knows Percy. Emily noticed that Dakota was stumbling along in his red robes. A lot of the other senators were having similar problems all but Emily of who had been doing it long enough that she knew of how to deal with the problems.

"How could Romans move in those things?"

"They were just for formal occasions. Like tuxedos. I bet the ancient Romans hated togas as much as we do. By the way, you didn't bring any weapons, did you?"

"Why? Are we not supposed to?"

"No weapons allowed inside the Pomerian Line."

"The what line?"

"Pomerian. The city limits. Inside is a sacred 'safe zone.' Legions can't march through. No weapons allowed. That's so senate meetings don't get bloody."

"Like Julius Caesar getting assassinated?"

"Don't worry. Nothing like that has happened in months." Emily was present when that happened, she shuddered as he thought of the times things got bloody. There had been times of when a weapon goins it's way over the line, the only weapon that was allowed over the line was her poppy. As they reached the city that they had come to the statues of Terminus, Emily always found him annoying. He was shouting at the Romans at the moment of which wasn't a big surprise.

"Single file, please! Have your IDs ready. Gwendolyn, senator, Fifth Cohort, yes. Nico di Angelo, ambassador of Pluto—very well. Reyna, praetor, of course. Hank, senator, Third Cohort—oh, nice shoes, Hank! Ah, who have we here?" Emily was just behind Frank when they reached Terminus, they were the last ones to reach the statues.

"Terminus, this is Percy Jackson. Percy, this is Terminus, the god of boundaries."

"New, eh? Yes, probatio tablet. Fine. Ah, weapon in your pocket? Take it out! Take it out!" Percy had took out his pen and terminus looked at it. "Quite dangerous, Leave it in the tray. Wait, where's my assistant? Julia!" Julia peeked out from behind the base of the statue, she was no more than six, she had pigtails, a pink dress and an impish grin with two missing teeth.

"Julia? Where did that girl go?" Terminus glanced behind him as Julia scurried in the other direction. Than he looked the other way and caught sight of Julia before she could hide and she squealed with delight. "Oh, there you are, Front and center. Bring the tray." Julia scrambles out and brushed off her dress and picked up a try's and presented it to Percy. There were several paring knives, a corkscrew, an oversized container of sun lotion and a water bottle.m "You can pick up your weapon on the way out,mJulia will take good care of it. She's a trained professional." Julia nodded.

"Pro-fess-ion-al." Emily smile as Julia said each syllable carefully like she had been practicing. Percy had glanced back at Hazel, Frank and Emily.m

"The thing is, the pen returns to my pocket automatically, so even if I give it up—"

"Not to worry, We'll make sure it doesn't wander off. Won't we, Juila?"

"Yes, Mr. Terminus." Reluctantly Percy had put his one on the tray.

"Now, a few rules, since you're are entering the boundaries of the city proper. Keep the peace inside the line. Yield to chariot traffic while walking on public roads. When you get to the Senate House, sit on the left-hand side. And, down there—do you see where I'm pointing?"

"Um, you don't have any hands." Emily shook her head when Percy said that.

"A smart aleck, eh? Well, Mr. Rule Flouter, right down there in the forum—Julia, point for me, please—" Julia had set the tray down and pointed towards the main plaza. "The shop with the blue awning, that's the general store. They sell tape measures. Buy one! I want those pants exactly one inch above the ankles and that hair regulation cut. And tuck your shirt in."

"Thank you, Terminus. We need to get going."

"Fine, fine, you may pass. But stay on the right side of the road! And that rock right there—No, Hazel, look where I'm pointing. That rock is entirely too close to that tree. Move it two inches to the left."Hazel did what she was told, than Emily had went though the line. She had to take off her necklace and two bracelets, but she didn't take off her poppy, no matter what she did that the poppy stay in her wrist. It was struck there in her wrist. That was part of the gift from her mother, that the poppy would remain on her wrist at all times, even when she was asleep. Terminus was not happy about the first time Emily had entered anew armor but he was forced to allow the poppy inside due to it was permanently on her wrist till her mother decided to take it back or removes it.

"Is he always like that?" Percy asked.

"No. Today he was laid back. Usually he's more obsessive/compulsive."

"You should have seen him when he first meet me. He was not thrilled about the poppy on my wrist." Emily raised the poppy as she spoke. Hazel spoke as as they slaked.

"I still don't get of why makes the comment that never goes on the tray. Why is on your wrist all the time and why does he not seem happy about letting it into New Rome."

"I had told you at I was adopted by Hades, the poppy is a gift from my birth mother of who is my godly parent. It can change into a sword. But it is permanently struck on my wrist as part of it's magic. No matter what I do or anyone, expect for my mother, can never take his poppy off. Besides I don't use it as often as my other weapons." The last part was not entirely true, sure she uses her other weapons but she uses the poppy the most often. More in the last couple of years, since she had revealed she was Emily Rogers to the Romans as well as to reveal she was alive. Though he Romans keep forgetting about her being Emily Rogers though she didn't mind that. Thankfully Frank changed the subject, so that Emily didn't have of say anything more about her sword,

"He inhabits every boundary stone around the city. Kind of our last line of defense if the city's attacked."

"Terminus isn't so bad, Just don't make him angry, or he'll force you to measure every blade of grass in the valley."

"And the kid? Julia?"

"Yeah, she's a cutie. Her parents live in the city. Come on. We'd better catch up to the senators." As they approached the forum that Emily could see the surprise on Percy's face by the amount of people hanging out at the fountain. Many were waving at the senators as they went pass, Emily smiled as she watched the different couple of Romans. This was one thing she loved a both New Rome and camp Jupiter. That the demigods can grow up here without worry of monsters and trying to survive outside of this camp. When Bucky had first come here that he suggested of moving there, even with how much she liked that idea that she said no for it was not really for Greeks like them. Besides, Emily felt better, that is if they have a child, if the child was raised outside of New armor as well as Camp Halfblood. Emily knows that the child could go to New Rome but she wasn't sure of the child might be accepted there. She was unsure if the child would be able to enter Camp Halfblood, for no Greek demigods had children or at least in modern times.

"All these people are demigods?"

"Or descended from demigods. Like I told you, it's a good place to go to college or raise a family without worrying about monster attacks every day. Maybe two, three hundred people live here? The veterans act as, like, advisers and reserve forces as needed, but mostly they're just citizens living their lives."

The senators made their way to a big white domed building on the west end of the forum. Percy had paused at the doorway for a minute before he followed Hazel and Frank, Emily followed Percy inside. The inside of the senate house looked like a high school lecture hall, though Emily wasn't sure if the Romans knew that fact it not. A semicircle of seats faced a dais with a podium and two chairs, at the moments one of the chairs were empty but one had a small velvet package on the seat. Emily knew at once of what was in the box on the one seat, for she and seen it many times before when there was a new centurion or a medal to be handed out. Percy, Hazel and Frank sat on the left side of the semicircle while Emily, Nico, and the ten senators sat on e rest of the front row. The veterans from the city entered, Reyna and Lee-Ann followed them and they walked up to the stage. Lee-Ann had stuffed bees and a knife while Reyna had walked to the podium and raised her hand for attention.

"Right, this is an emergency meeting. We won't stand on formalities."

"I love formalities!" Emily sent the ghost a death glare and he shrunk back. Reyna nodded thanks to Emily.

"First of all, we're not here to vote on the quest itself. The quest has been issued by Mars Ultor, patron of Rome. We will obey his wishes. Nor are we here to debate the choice of Frank Zhang's companions."

"All three from the Fifth Cohort? That's not fair."

"And not smart, We know the Fifth will mess up. They should take somebody good." Dakota got up so fast that he spilled kook-aid from his flask.

"We were plenty good last night when we whipped your podex, Larry!"

"Enough, Dakota. Let's leave Larry's podexout of this. As quest leader, Frank has the right to choose his companions. He has chosen Percy Jackson and Hazel Levesque."

"Absurdus! Frank Zhang isn't even a full member of the legion! He's on probatio. A quest must be led by someone of centurion rank or higher. This is completely—"

"Cato, We must obey the wishes of Mars Ultor. That means certain ... adjustments." Lee-Ann came forward when Reyna clapped her hands, she set the knife and the stuff bear down and took the velvet package from the chair.

"Frank Zhang, come forward." Frank glanced nervously at Percy and Emily, Emily nodded. Frank got to his feet and approached Lee-Ann. It was. But funny that Frank was scared to a twelve almost thirteen year old, but again she was the augur. Thankfully Lee-Ann didn't show any signs of dislike, hatred or favorites among the members of the legions. She rarely showed any emotions in a time like this.

"It is my pleasure to bestow upon you the Mural Crown for being first over the walls in siege warfare." Octavian handed him a bronze badge shaped like a laurel wreath. "Also, by order of Praetor Reyna, to promote you to the rank of centurion." Lee-Ann handed him a bronze badge shape like a laurel wreath first before she handed Frank another badge, a bronze crescent. The senate exploded in protest.

"He's still a probie!"

"Impossible!"

"Water cannon up my nose!"

"Silence!" For a twelve year old, her voice was loud and commanding. "Our praetor recognizes that no one below the rank of centurion may lead a quest. For good or ill, Frank must lead this quest—so our praetor and I must agree with her has decreed that Frank Zhang must be made centurion. For we must listen to the gods and he had picked Frank to lead this quest."

"There is an opening for centurion. One of our officers, also a senator, has decided to step down. After ten years in the legion, she will retire to the city and attend college. Gwen of the Fifth Cohort, we thank you for your service." Everyone turned to Gwen, she put a brave smile on and she looked tired from what happened last night. Gwen also looked relieved as well, Emily couldn't blame Gwen for that, she would feel the same way if it was her.

"As praetor, I have the right to replace officers. I admit it's unusual for a camper on probatio to rise directly to the rank of centurion, but I think we can agree…last night was unusual. Frank Zhang, your ID, please." Frank removed the tablet from around his neck and handed it to Lee-Ann.

"Your arm." Frank held up his forearm and Lee-Ann raised her hands to the heavens.

"We accept Frank Zhang, Son of Mars, to the Twelfth Legion Fulminata for his first year of service. Do you pledge your life to the senate and people of Rome?" At first of what Frank said sounded like 'us-dud'. Than he cleared his throat and managed to speak.

"I do."

"Senatus Populusque Romanus!" Fire blazed on Frank's arm, emily winced as she watched, she remembered when she got her tattoo and it was unexpected. Lupa did it as to show a sign that the Romans should trust and she was sent by Pluto to be an ambassador. Emily could see Frank's eyes full off terror, Emily thought that Frank would pass out from the burning. Than the smoke and flame died, new marks were seared onto Frank's skin, SPQR and an image of crossed spears and a single strip representing the first year of service.

"You may sit down." Than Reyna spoke as Frank returned to his seat.

"Now, we must discuss the quest." Emily heard whispered to Frank as soon as Frank sat down since Emily wasn't too far them.

"Did it hurt?" Frank looked at his forearm of which was still steaming,

"Yeah. A lot."

"Here. Let me." Emily and Percy smiled as Hazel pinned the medals to Frank's shirt,m

"You deserve it, man. What you did last night? Natural leadership."

"But centurion—"

"Centurion Zhang, Did you hear the question?"

"Um…sorry. What?" Lee-Ann smiled like she pitied Frank that he had to face on this quest.

"I was asking, if you have a plan for the quest. Do you even know where you are going?"

"Um..." Hazel had put her hand on Frank's shoulder

"Weren't you listening last night, Octavian? Mars was pretty clear. We're going to the land beyond the gods—Alaska." Emily could see that the senators squirmed and some of the ghosted shimmered and disappeared. Even Reyna's metal dogs rolled over on their backs and whimpered. Senator Larry than stood up and spoke.

"I know what Mars said, but that's crazy. Alaska is cursed! They call it the land beyond the gods for a reason. It's so far north, the Roman gods have no power there. The place is swarming with monsters. No demigod has come back from there alive since—"

"Since you lost your eagle." Larry was so startled that he fell back, Emily smirked when that happen. Percy had went on. "Look, I know I'm new here. I know you guys don't like to mention that massacre in the nineteen-eighties—"

"He mentioned it!" Emily glared at the ghost that spoke and the ghosted whimpered and disappeared.

"—But don't you get it? The Fifth Cohort led that expedition. We failed, and we have to be responsible for making things right. That's why Mars is sending us. This giant, the son of Gaea—he's the one who defeated your forces thirty years ago. I'm sure of it. Now he's sitting up there in Alaska with a chained death god, and all your old equipment. He's mustering his armies and sending them south to attack this camp." The Senator, he other other centurion, from the first cohort stood up and spoke as he looked at Percy.

"Really? You seem to know a lot about our enemy's plans, Percy Jackson." Emily had stood up and walked over to the senator.

"Are you stupid or have you not looked at the signs? It is clear of what is going on, even though he has only been here a day, that one can learn much of what is going around here from all the talking the Romans and Lares, any idiot who listens would be able to figure that out."

"He could be a spy though."

The senator glared at her, Emily glared right back at him and he shrunk under her gaze but he didn't sit back down. Emily was about use the shadows when suddenly the doors flew open and the senator was flew back into the wall. Everyone was shocked even Emily, Emily turned and looked at the doors expecting Jason to be standing there. Honestly it was unlikely to be Jason but she couldn't think of who else it could be other than Bucky. But Bucky only gets in New Rome if he was with her. It wasn't Jason or even Bucky, it was the last person she expected to see there more so with the fact that she never been here before and only heard about it. Standing in the doorway was Lauren Rogers, her best friend since the age of ten. Everyone was staring at Lauren as she walked forward wearing her gold jacket, brown shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes. Wind was blowing around her making her hair fly around her face, the senators leaned back as Lauren walked till she stood by Emily's side. Lauren looked at the senator that just barely stood back up, as he stood up the wind around Lauren died down and the doors closed as the wind hit the doors.

"Did I hear you correctly in saying that one of among you are traitors?"

"It is possible that this Percy could be a spy for Gaea?"

"Do you have any proof of this?" The senator looked pissed as Lauren asked that question.

"This is none of your concern, traitor. you are not part of this ... " The senator didn't even finished before lightning flashed across the room, thunder rumbled over head and the wind throw the senator back against the wall. Lauren walked forward and spoke in a clear and loud voice.

"Are you saying at a child of Jupiter is a traitor to Rome?" The senators muttered at this, Lauren and rolled down her sleeve and revealed the SPQR tattoo on her forearm with an eagle. The senator looked scare as he looked at Lauren. "Do you want to finish what you were saying or would you prefer to sit down?" The senator moved away from the wall and went to his chair, before he could sit down that shadows hit him throwing him against the wall again and he looked at Emily.

"Next time I hear you call Lauren or any member of the legion, even when they are not full members yet, that you would regret saying it. For I am able to pick up when there is a traitor among the moment the roman is accepted into the legion. Percy was accepted and I can sense he is no traitor." The senator had sat back down, everyone was looked at Lauren shocked before Reyna spoke up.

"I don't remember you." Lauren looked at Reyna.

"I was here at the same time as Emily and after the war I become immortals to help the world to be safe from threats among others. Apollo had made the group,that I lead to help protect demigods and mortals a like to make sure that no threat can harm or thin out the threats. Only in the last couple of days that Apollo made me his ambassador." There was stunned silence, after a minute that Reyna spoke.

"We welcome you than." Emily waved her hand and a chair appeared next to her own, Lauren sat in the chair Emily made appear. Emily nodded at Lauren of who smiled back, Emily shook her head, Emily wondered if Apollo really sent her here.

"Anyway before that happened as I was saying. And now a giant has captured him, So if we could free Thanatos, then the dead would stay dead? Um…no offense."

"It's more complicated than that."

"You mean the Doors of Death. They are mentioned in the Prophecy of Seven, which sent the first expedition to Alaska—" One of the ghosts snorted.

"We all know how that turned out! We Lares remember!" The other ghosts grumbled in agreement. Nico out his fingers to his lips, suddenly all the lares went silent.

"Thanatos is only part of the solution. The Doors of Death…well, that's a concept even I don't completely understand. There are many ways into the Underworld—the River Styx, the Door of Orpheus—plussmaller escape routes that open up from time to time. With Thanatos imprisoned, all those exits will be easier to use. Sometimes it might work to our advantage and let a friendly soul come back—like Gwen here. More often, it will benefit evil souls and monsters, the sneaky ones who are looking to escape. Now, the Doors of Death—those are the personal doors of Thanatos, his fast lane between Life and Death. Only Thanatos is supposed to know where they are, and the location shifts over the ages. If I understand correctly, the Doors of Death have been forced open. Gaea's minions have seized control of them—"

"Which means Gaea controls who can come back from the dead." Nico nodded when Percy said that.

"She can pick and choose who to let out—the worst monsters, the most evil souls. If we rescue Thanatos, that means at least he can catch souls again and send them below. Monsters will die when we kill them, like they used to, and we'll get a little breathing room. But unless we're able to retake the Doors of Death, our enemies won't stay down for long. They'll have an easy way back to the world of the living."

"So we can catch them and deport them,'but they'll just keep coming back across."

"In a depressing nutshell, yes."

"But Thanatos knows where the doors are, right? If we free him, he can retake them."

"I don't think so, Not alone. He's no match for Gaea. That would take a massive quest…an army of the best demigods."

"Foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. That's the Prophecy of Seven…" Reyna looked at Percy, Emily could see of how scared she was. Honestly Emily thinks every leader felt scared from time to time but they do their best to hid their feelings to try to raise their soldier's spirits. "If this begins the ancient prophecy, we don't have resources to send an army to these Doors of Death and protect the camp. I can't imagine even sparing seven demigods—"

"First things first. I don't know who the seven are, or what that old prophecy means, exactly. But first we have to free Thanatos. Mars told us we only needed three people for the quest to Alaska. Let's concentrate on succeeding with that and getting back before the Feast of Fortuna. Then we can worry about the Doors of Death."

"Yeah, That's probably enough for one week."

"So you do have a plan?" It was the senator from the first cohort once more. Percy looked at Frank and Hazel.

"We go to Alaska as fast as possible..."

"And we improvise."

"A lot." Reyna studied them, she looked like she was mentally writing for her obituary.

"Very well. Nothing remains except for us to vote what support we can give the quest—transportation, money, magic, weapons."

"Praetor, if I may." It was the same senator that Emily and Lauren knocked into the wall. Emily heard Percy muttering.

"Oh, great, Here it comes."

"The camp is in grave danger. Two gods have warned us we will be attacked four days from now. We must not spread our resources too thin, especially by funding projects that have a slim chance of success." He looked at them to say poor little things. "Mars has clearly chosen the least likely candidates for this quest. Perhaps that is because he considers them the most expendable. Perhaps Mars is playing the long odds. Whatever the case, he wisely didn't order a massive expedition, nor did he ask us to fund their adventure. I say we keep our resources here and defend the camp. This is where the battle will be lost or won. If these three succeed, wonderful! But they should do so by their own ingenuity." An uneasy murmur passed through the crowds Frank jumped up to his feet for a fight, Emily had got up and put a hand on his shoulder and he slowly sit down as she calmed him down using the powers she got from Hestia. When he sat down that Emily looked at the senator.

"Senator, unless if you forget, I am the ambassador of Vesta now and I am also the protector of the roman state and the home. My patron is still the guardian and will still guard the roman state and the home if something were to happen to me. But you seem to forget that if the senate can't provided them with what they need when a battle is approaching that I can provided for them." Emily waved her hands and three back packs appeared in her hands and she tossed them to Percy, Frank and Hazel. "There is food, ambrosia, nectar, clothing, some money and a few other things as well." Emily waved her hand one more and a debt card appeared in her hand and she put it in Hazel's hand. "You can use this to pull more money if you need if you don't have enough." Emily looked at the three of them, all three them looked surprised.

"What about transportation. Gaea is the earth goddess, right? Going overland, across the earth—I'm guessing we should avoid that. Plus, it'll be too slow." Emily waved her hand as a pair of keys fell in her hand and she handed it to Percy, he looked stunned.

"My father had enough money and I trend to travel a lot. Thankfully I can use a airplane due to the fact my best friend is a daughter of Jupiter and I can use a boat since I am his favorite niece. I have a boat that you can use and it is in the port not far from here. It should be able to take you where you need to go." Emily turned to the rest of Romans and spoke. "So all the resources stay here while this three get some of their resources to help them. Any questions?" There was a mutter that filled the chamber.

"Very well. We'll put it to a vote. Senators, the motion is as follows: The quest shall go to Alaska. The senate shall provide full access to the Roman navy docked at Alameda. The aid that they have is gained though Emily while he resources stays here. The three adventurers will survive or fail from that point on. All in favor?" Every senator's hand went up. "The motion is passed." Reyna turned to Frank. "Centurion, your party is excused. The senate has other matters to discuss. And, Lee-Ann, if I may confer with you for a moment." Emily and Lauren followed Percy, Frank, and Hazel outside, once outside that Hazel picked up a large emerald from the path and slipped it into her pocket before turning around and looked at Emily.

"Thank you. We have a better chance of succeed because of you, even if I don't like the water." Hazel hugged her and Emily hugged back.

"It is the least I can do Hazel and you are my sister and I don't want to see you fail this quest." When Hazel let go that Emily knelt down in front of Hazel and spoke. "You know what awaits there, out of the three of you, it would harder on you, I believe. Make sure you are ready when you reach the end." Hazel nodded and Emily stood back up, Lauren looked at Emily confused but Emily mouthed that she would explain later. Than Frank spoke.

"Look if either of you wants to back out, I wouldn't blame you."

"Are you kidding? And pull sentry duty for the rest of the week?" Frank had turned to Percy of who was gazing across the forum. Emily could tell he was thinking. Than Percy looked away and at Frank.

"I'm with you. Besides, I want to check out the Roman navy." Emily noticed that Steve and Bucky were at the fountain, Emily said goodby to Hazel, Frank and Percy before Lauren and Emily went over to where Steve and Bucky were. When Emily reached them that Bucky had come over and hugged her and she hugged him back. When she let to that she turned to Lauren of who just let go of Steve.

"Lauren." Lauren looked at Emily. Emily nodded to the tattoo on her forearm. "Where did you get and did Apollo went you here?"

"Yes, Apollo sent me here not too long ago and he was the one that put this on my forearm." Lauren winced slightly as she was thinking of how the tattoo felt being burned into her arm. Steve touched the eagle, it had ten bar marks under the eagle as well as the SPQR letter.

"It looked like it was painful." Before Lauren said anything that Emily spoke.

"It is." Lauren looked at Emily when she said that.

"Emily, I just made that part about being here together."

"True but there is something I never told you or showed you." Emily rolled up the sleeve of her jacket that was under her toga and raised her arm to reveal the same tattoo on her arm as Lauren's but it had the symbol of a glyph with crossed arms with a head and a fire. Bucky grasp her arm and looked at her.

"I don't remember seeing this did you get recently?"

"I got it about sixty eight years ago." Bucky, Steve and Lauren were stunned when Emily said that. "It was not long after we won the war in Europe that Pluto adopted me that I was giving this tattoo. I will tell you the full story later." Emily rolled her sleeve down before they walked towards the mess hall. Lunch seemed more like a funeral party than anything else, everyone was eating and people were talking in hushed to were. No was happy, she knows it was partly because of the upcoming battle that they were facing. However she noticed that the campers kept glancing over at Percy like he was the corpse of honor or something like that. It made Bucky, Steve and Lauren uncomfortable, Bucky had been to camp before he's but he never been to the mess hall since Emily always made the food at her house. This was Steve's and Lauren's first time here at camp Jupiter. Reyna made a brief speech wishing them luck and Lee-Ann had ripped open the stuffed bear. When Lee-Ann did that, that Lauren, Bucky and Steve winced, she pronounced grave Owens and hard times ahead and that the clap would be saved by an unexpected hero. After lunch at the campers went to their actives while Frank, Percy, and Hazel added their own things to their back packs. Emily had made sure that there was enough room for anything else they needed that she didn't have in the backpacks. When it was only Bucky, Lauren, Steve and Emily that Steve spoke.

"Was that a normal meal here?"

"No, it wasn't. It is usually much louder than that." The four of them had left the mess hall and when they entered the house that she explained things better to Steve and Lauren as well as added things that she hadn't told Bucky yet. She even told them that children of Pluto and Neptune were considered as bad luck, when Emily finished that no one said anything for a few minutes. But Lauren broke the silence.

"Are children of Ceres consider bad luck?"

"No, they are not. Though I am not sure what their reputation is. Sure the Romans know that I am really a daughter of Ceres but they still think me more as a daughter of Pluto since I only use this appearance when I am here. The only time they saw me in my birth appearance was when Bucky and I were here on our honeymoon." They went on tasking for another few hours till they decided to go back to the avenger tower. While they were talking that Emily felt something off about Lauren, Emily couldn't place it. Emily knew she had that off sensation before but it was only in Camp Jupiter of when she felt it as well as a couple of other places. But Emily shrugged it off thinking it was nothing and she could ask Lauren later about it. So Emily changed out of her clothes and put on a camp Jupiter shirt on and jeans before they shadow travel back to the tower. When Emily and Bucky reached her level that they started kissing, neither one show each other very much since he left camp Jupiter with Thor.

Emily missed the time they shared with each other and she was planning on making it up to him. It was clearing that he was thinking along the same lines. The next morning Emily stirred a little bit, her head was on Bucky's chest. His heart was calm compared to how it was last night, one of her arms was over his chest while her other arm was was behind his back. One of Bucky's hands was on her shoulder while his other arm was wrapped around her holding her close. Emily shifted her head up at Bucky, his hair was back to the length it was in World War II and his hair was messed up from last night. Not only that but he was still asleep, Emily shifted her head and closed she eyes once more. As Emily laid that she felt odd, it felt like if her body changed and her powers from Hestia were going nuts. Emily figured she was half asleep from what she was doing with Bucky last night. Just as Emily nuzzled into Bucky more and try to fall asleep again that J.A.R.V.I.S. had come on line.

"Miss Barnes." Emily moaned when she heard him.

"J.A.R.V.I.S. go away. I don't want to be bothered."

"Miss Rogers says it's important." Emily sighed when J.A.R.V.I.S. said that.

"Well it better be good. Tell I am coming up." Emily got out of bed and out her night clothes before going up to Steve's level. When she entered that Lauren was sitting on the couch in the main room of Steve's level in her bathrobe. Lauren had one hand over her stomach of which Emily found odd, Emily went over and sat down next to her. "All right, why did you want me to come up here?"

"Well, it's something I hadn't told Steve yet." Emily raised her eyebrow when Lauren said that, most of the time Lauren and went to her first to tell her things before she told Steve. Even after she married Steve Lauren still did that. From how she spoke that it sounded like she should told Steve first before she told Emily.

"Usually you tell me first, what makes this so different that you woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me this. I was awake but still usually I am asleep by this point in time. If you hadn't notice it's early morning." Emily gestured to the window, it was still dark outside though the lights of the city made the city look like it was day time. Lauren had lowered her head before she spoke

"There is a reason, I thought of telling Steve when I found out, but I wasn't sure of how he will to he will take it." Emily raised her eyebrow and Lauren looked up at her before she spoke the last two words that Emily didn't expect to hear form Lauren ever. "I'm pregnant." Emily slid off the couch when Lauren said that.

"You're pregnant?" Lauren nodded when Emily said that. "That explains it than."

"Explains what?"

"Lauren, I can always sense not long after a baby is made. A baby falls under the family, home and hearth that Hestia reigns over." Lauren smiled a little when Emily said that.

"So you knew already."

"Sort of, I felt it but I thought my powers were going crazy." Emily had climbed back on the couch and leaned back. "So, how far are you?"

"About a month." Emily shook her head when Lauren said that.

"It seem hard to believe I didn't notice sooner than today but with what has been going on, that is not a big surprise."

"Emily." Emily looked over at Lauren. "If you can tell when a baby is made, won't you be able to tell the minute you are Pregnant." Emily shrugged when Lauren said that.

"I guess, I don't know. Considering that I haven't had a child ... " Emily stopped right there. She thought of what Lauren said and the powers that Hestia gave her and her thye were going crazy. However earlier those powers were going crazy around Lauren but it seems like those powers were extra crazy right now. Lauren was watching her as Emily sat there thinking.

"Emily?" Emily looked over at Lauren. "What is it?"

"I think Bucky and I just conceived a child."


	12. Chapter 12

Emily wasn't even sure if she was sure on what she told Lauren, for Emily had never been pregnant before. She could feel her Hestia powers going nuts like the power had found a new family members of hers or a half siblings. But the powers were telling her that the bond between her and the family member was much stronger than that of a sister or a brother. Emily wasn't sure if it was her Hestia's power acting up or that she really was pregnant, honestly she wasn't sure of which she wanted it to be. Emily wasn't even sure if she was ready for a child or not, even if she wanted one and she knows Bucky wanted one as well. So Emily had changed her clothes once more and left the tower and went across the street to the Empire State Building, even though it was still in the middle of the night.

When she managed to get the security guard to give her the key to the 600 floor that she went inside and went up. After a few minutes that Emily reached the 600 floor and started walking though the city. There was not very many godlings, minor gods or anyone on the streets of Olympus, it seems like half of the gods were doing their jobs or sleeping or doing something else entirely. But there was only one god she wanted to talk to, Emily knew where to find her, no matter what time of the day it was. It took a few minutes to reach the throne room, sure enough when she entered that the fire in the hearth was lite up and her patron goddess was sitting by the fire poking it.

Emily walked over to Hestia and sat down next to her without saying a word, Hestia sat there poking at the fire without saying either. They were like that for the next few minutes, both of them were aware of the other, it was a comfortable silence that fell between Emily and her patron goddess. Emily wanted to ask her patron if she was right in guessing that she was pregnant and that is what her powers were telling her that she was pregnant. If she was right, she wondered of how long it will last of her powers telling her that, Emily had a feeling she knew that answer, throughout the whole time she was pregnant. It was Hestia that had broke the silence.

"Is there a reason you are here, Emily?"

"Hestia." Hestia looked away from the fire and looked at Emily. "Will the powers you gave me detect a child in me like it would with other woman? If so does it detect it sooner?" Hestia smiled when Emily said that.

"They will detect the child in you like the other woman but they will detect the moment you become pregnant. That is the only difference between you and other women, that it would take at least two weeks to a month for you to detect other women." Emily snorted when Hestia said that, in other words she was pregnant. That was the last thing Emily needed now in a time of war, it wasn't fair for the baby or even her, who knows what could happen between now and when she gives birth. "So I assume you asked me that because you're pregnant?"

"Yeah, I didn't expect to become pregnant, not now."

"I have to admit that I prefer it was a better time for you to become pregnant now, but at least you not going to give birth with the next few days or weeks." Emily was glad of that at least, they spend a few more hours tasking till the sun started to come up. As the sun started to come up that Emily left Olympus and headed back to the tower.

Bucky's pov

It had been a few days since Bucky had spend some time with Emily, he enjoyed the fact he was with her when apollos sent them to New Rome of where he appointed Lauren to be his ambassador. Bucky had told them that Emily was an ambassador to Hestia's roman form and Nico was the ambassador of Hades's roman form. He remembered of how he shock had be when Emily revealed her tattoo, but considering that she alway been wearing her bracelets and her jacket that it was not surprising he hadn't seen it sooner. Emily did take her jacket off but he rarely saw her without her bracelets any more, if he hadn't known that there was no weapon beyond the line that he would have question that. That night they had made up for that lost time, though Bucky wished he could make up that lost time from World War II to when his memories return.

When Bucky woke up the next morning that he expected Emily next to him at least, but there was nothing when he reached out for her. He opened his eyes and saw that Emily wasn't there, he quickly got up and dressed, panicking. He will admit that there was little chance of something dangerous happening to her but he still was worried none the less. After all their time apart that he couldn't help but worry that something like that would be repeated again. With the fact that they were both demigods, that something could tear them apart again. Just the thought of that just made him panic, he used the elevator to get to the main floor. When he reached the floor that he saw the others in there as well, even Emily and she was sitting at the table with Steve and Lauren. The others were in different places talking, Bucky walked over to emily and sat down next to her. Bucky had noticed Steve's surprised face when he walked over to the tinsel and sat down, he wondered why Steve was surprised.

"Hey, why are you surprised?" Steve had looked over at Bucky when Bucky had asked them before he spoke.

"Lauren's pregnant." Bucky was stunned, he didn't expect Lauren to be pregnant, as he thought about it, there was a chance Emily might be pregnant and it was unplanned like Lauren being pregnant was unplanned with Steve and Lauren. Bucky had. To iced that Lauren didn't seem quite herself in the last few days and if she was pregnant it would explain it. For the most part everyone stayed in the tower that day, even Emily, and it was a nice change from mostly everyone not being at the tower for the last few days. As the day went on that he noticed that something was bothering Emily, he had asked her about it but she told him not to worry about it. The next couple of days till Emily had to go back to Camp Jupiter or at least check on Percy, Hazel and Frank since the end of their quest was coming. Emily allowed him to go with her, they shadow travel to an airfield, there was a jet and it seems like Emily knew the pilot and went over to him and asked him a couple of questions. Bucky stood back wondering who the pilot till he heard a car.

Emily's pov

Emily turned around when she heard a car, Emily had a feeling that Hazel was in trouble, the main reason she had come here. Emily could tell it was somewhere in Canada, so she had come here to talk to the pilot and he was one of the few that remembered both of her appearance when she revealed it over a year ago. It seems hard to believe that it had been about sixty nine since that fateful day of Steve had landed in the ice. Remembering of where S.H.I.E.L.D. had found Steve that she remembered thinking that was why she was never able to find him. For Steve was just north enough that he was just beyond the gods, he wasn't in Alaska. He was no where near there even when he was found, he was just north enough that no god could find him.

As Emily looked at the forest that a Cadillac had drove out of the forest, Emily could barely make out Percy in the front seat. The Cadillac hit a pothole and went airborne, Emily winced as she watched it land and than went to a stop. The car swerved as it stopped, it stopped just inside the gates of the airfield, just behind the car were Laistrygonians. Emily panic slightly, that would explain of when Emily had that sense that Hazel was in danger. Percy, Hazel and Frank had climbed out of the car that they had been in and Frank had drew his bow before shouting at Percy and Hazel.

"Get to the plane! They're coming!" The Laistrygonians were closing in, the first line of them had burst out of the woods barreled toward the airfield. Emily had lowered her palms to the earth and started using her power over the plants. Emily felt gusts of warm wind blowing by her and some of the winds made the Laistrygonians unsteady on their feet. As the trees started to attack that Percy and Hazel had managed to get a harpy out of the car. Emily could hear the harpy as she yelped when the harpy saw the jet.

"N-n-no! Fly with wings! N-n-no airplanes."

"It's okay. We'll protect you!" The harpy made a horrible painful wail like she was burning, Percy held up his hands in exasperation.

"What do we do? We can't force her."

"No." Even with Bucky and Emily using their powers that the Laistrygonians were still moving it and were three hundred yards out.

"She's too valuable to leave behind." Hazel winced at her own words. "Gods, I'm sorry, Ella. I sound as bad as Phineas. You're a living thing, not a treasure."

"No planes. N-n-no planes." Ella, apparently the harpy's name, was hyperventilating. The Laistrygonians were getting closer and were in throwing distance.m

"I've got an idea. Ella, can you hide in the woods? Will you be safe from the ogres?"

"Hide. Safe. Hiding is good for harpies. Ellais quick. And small. And fast."

"Okay. Just stay around this area. I can send a friend to meet you and take you to Camp Jupiter." Frank had mocked an arrow

"A friend?" Percy waved his hand in a tell you later gesture. Emily smiled when she saw that, for it was clear that Percy was starting to remember his old life.m

"Ella, would you like that? Would you like my friend to take you to Camp Jupiter and show you our home?"

"Camp." Than Ella did something that Emily didn't expect her to do, she spoke in Latin. "'Wisdom's daughter walks alone, the Mark of Athena burns through Rome.'" Emily had stopped using her powers out of shock, Emily opened her mouth and than closed it. It was clear that this harpy had come across the Sibylline books, but how she had come across that book was a mystery.

"Uh, right. That sounds important, but we can talk about that later. You'll be safe at camp. All the books and food you want."

"No planes."

"No planes."

"Ella will hide now." Just like that Ella was gone and disappeared into the woods. Emily started using her powers over the plants once more.

"I'll miss her."

"We'll see her again." Percy was frowning, Emily knew why, Percy would most likely know by now. The part about Athena would trouble him since he was dating a daughter of Athena. An explosion seen the gates spinning into the air, thankfully it didn't hit the plane, than Frank tossed a letter at Percy.

"Show that to the pilot! Show him your letter from Reyna too! We've got to take off now." Emily watched as Percy nodded, than Percy and Hazel ran to the plane while Frank remained behind the car. Percy had looked at Emily and Bucky and shot her. A look saying, why didn't you say anything. Than he handed the letter to the pilot, of who merely nodded, the pilot nodded to Emily and Bucky. They went into the plane, Hazel was still was on the ladder and she called out to Frank.

"Frank! Come on!" Hazel made it just inside as Frank drove into the plane. As Frank sat down and the plane shot down the runaway. Another blast ripped through the runaway behind them but they were already in the air. Emily looked down and saw the craters making the airfield look like Swiss cheese, Emily could see a few miles to the south that there was a swirling pyre of flames and black smoke. Vancouver disappeared in the clouds below and than the pilot had spoke.

"Senatus Populusque Romanus, my friends. Welcome aboard. Next stop: Anchorage, Alaska." As they flew that Emily heard Hazel try to reassure Frank. Emily had noticed a few times Hazel looked at her confused as well as Bucky, Hazel and seen Bucky enough times to know he was her husband or Rachel's husband. Emily knew Hazel was on guard duty when Emily revealed who she was really, the Romans hardly spoke about at after it happen. Partly because they saw so little of Bucky after that and that was the only time Emily had been in her normal appearance. At the moment she was in her normal appearance with the blond hair and blue eyes. Emily looked at Frank of who had his head down like he was ashamed to have been crying. Emily knew Frank had come from Canada, so Emily,figured that his house that burned down. Emily couldn't blame Frank for crying, Emily had cried after Bucky's supposed death as well as after Steve's supposed death.

But people would push that aside and say it was all right for a girl to cry but not a man. As they flew north that Hazel and Percy had asked about his family gifts, but Frank refused to explain what his family gift was. Emily wasn't sure if it was because he didn't know what it was or he didn't know how to use it or even both. Frank had told them about his conversation with Mars the night before and explained the prophecy that Juno issued when he was a baby. The one of where his life being tied to a piece of firewood and how he asked Hazel to keep it for him. Emily smiled as Frank explained this to Hazel and Percy, Emily was at least glad that Frank trusted someone with the piece of firewood. Apparently Frank had learned about his Greek heritage judging form what Percy said next.

"Frank, I'm proud to be related to you." Frank's ears turned red and his head was lowered.

"Juno has some sort of plan for us, about the Prophecy of Seven."

"Yeah, I didn't like her as Hera. I don't like her any better as Juno." Emily raised an eyebrow she Percy said that, Emily didn't expect Percy to say both Juno and Hera. But that made it clear that Percy had remembered things from his past, if it hadn't apparent at the airfield. Emily watched as Hazel studied Percy, Emily wondered if Hazel figured it out already.

"You're a son of Poseidon, aren't you? You are a Greek demigod." Emily smiled, Percy gripped his leather necklace.

"I started to remember in Portland, after the gorgon's blood. It's been coming back to me slowly since then. There's another camp—Camp Half-Blood." Hazel and Frank stared at Percy when he said that.

"Another camp, A Greek camp? Gods, if James found out—"

"He'd declare war, He's always been sure the Greeks were out there, plotting against us. He thought Percy was a spy."

"That's why Juno sent me. Uh, I mean, not to spy. I think it was some kind of exchange. Your friend Jason—I think he was sent to my camp. In my dreams, I saw a demigod that might have been him. He was working with some other demigods on this flying warship. I think they're coming to Camp Jupiter to help."

"Mars said Juno wants to unite the Greeks and Romans to fight Gaea. But, jeez—Greeks and Romans have a long history of bad blood." Emily had spoke up.

"You are right Hazel, that is why the gods kept the Romans and Greeks apart." Percy, Frank and Hazel looked at Emily shocked. Hazel tilted her head before she spoke.

"Who are you?"

"I have two names and two appearance, though I use my birth name for the most part expect in New Rome since the Romans had a hard time thinking me as anything but what I was and am. For the last about two years I went by Beth name, emily aerogels." There was gasp from Frank and Hazel when Emily did that.

"Not the Emily Rogers, Lieutenant USA."

"The one and the same. But you two know me by my other name and appearance." Emily snapped her fingers and her appearance changed. Hazel and Frank looked shocked but Hazel squealed and went over to her and hugged her. Than Hazel looked at her.

"How come you didn't say anything about who you were or you knew about the Greeks?" Emily snapped her fingers to change her appearance back before she spoke.

"I did reveal who I was, it was just that you were on guard duty and the Romans don't like change. As for the Greeks, I was told not to say anything till the time was right. But That's why the gods have kept us apart this long. Because the Romans and Greeks had fought when they meet. That is why I was told not to say anything about the Greeks or say I was Greek. If a Greek warship appeared in the sky above Camp Jupiter, and Reyna didn't know it was friendly—"

"Yeah, We've got to be careful how we explain this when we get back."

"If we get back." Percy nodded when Frank said that.

"I mean, I trust you guys. I hope you trust me. I feel…well, I feel as close to you two as to any of my old friends at Camp Half-Blood. But with the other demigods, at both camps—there's going to be a lot of suspicion." Hazel had leaned over and kissed him on his cheek but it was a sisterly kiss though.

"Of course we trust you,mWe're a family now. Aren't we, Frank?"

"Sure. Do I get a kiss?" Hazel laughed but there was a nervous tension in the laugh. Emily looked over at Bucky of who looked at her and Emily mouthed, does that remind you of anyone. Bucky bite his lion and looked away from her. Emily was close of laughing, from how Hazel and Frank were acing was similar of her Emily and Bucky were acting after Emily and Steve got him off the HYDRA base and when he kissed her as it was being blowed up. After that till they started dating that it was awkward between them.

"Anyway, what do we do now?" Percy took a deep breath.

"I've got to contact a friend—to keep my promise to Ella."

"How? One of those Iris-messages?"

"Still not working,mI tried it last night at your grandmother's house. No luck. Maybe it's because my memories are still jumbled. Or the gods aren't allowing a connection. I'm hoping I can contact my friend in my 'm not sure I can sleep. But I need to try. We can't leave Ella by herself with those ogres around."

"Yeah, We've still got hours to fly. Take the couch, man." Percy nodded before he could do much else that Emily spoke.

"Percy." He looked at her. "Who are you going to contact?"

"My half brother." Emily nodded when Percy said that, she knew who Percy was talking about, it was Tyson. Emily knows that Thron and Mrs. O'Leary was with Tyson and Tyson was one of the few people that they could play without hurting too badly or at all. Percy stretched out and closed his eyes and fell asleep. The next few hours went by slowly, Hazel and freak managed to sleep as they flew, neither Emily or Bucky were tired. Emily had curled up into Bucky of who had his arms around her, Emily felt tired mostly because her Hestia powers were acting up still as well as using her Demeter powers earlier. After a couple of hours that Bucky had spoke.

"Emily."

"Yes."

"Are you sure you are all right, it seems that something is bothering you." Emily sighed before she spoke.

"Bucky, you remember of what I told you about my Hestia powers?"

"Yes, you can sense the family connection or even a similar connection between two people who think of each as siblings even if they are not in blood. Why are you asking?" Emily sat up more properly.

"I can also tell when a woman is with a child." Bucky looked surprised.

"You mean you knew that Lauren was pregnant for the last month?" Emily smiled slightly.

"I did, but not the whole month, I can detect it between two weeks to a month when a woman is with a child. I knew it about a day before she told me. At the time I thought it was acting up for I doubted she was pregnant. But I wasn't talking about Lauren." Bucky raised his eyebrow when Emily said that.

"Who were talking about than." Emily sighed when Bucky said that.

"Well, I am not sure of how to say this. But there is only one woman with the exception of the time frame I would know by. From the moment that the child is conceived."

"Don't tell me one of your half sisters is pregnant." Emily laughed when Buck said that.

"Bucky, I said only one woman not ten to fifteen." When Emily said that it was clear that Bucky was thinking and started to realize what Emily was getting but he seem doubtful about it. He looked at her, he could tell he wanted to be but not now if times so.

"Are you saying you are with a child?" Emily nodded when Bucky said that. "Are you sure on that."

"Yes. When we got to the tower after camp Jupiter I hand woke up in the middle,of the night and Lauren told me than since it seemed that she couldn't sleep much at night. As we were tasking that I noticed my Hestia powers were really acting up and I guessed of what happened and I spoke with Hestia about it. She confirmed the fact that the moment I am with a child that the powers she gave me would be able to tell if I am with a child." Emily lowered her head, Bucky had pulled her closer to him and held her.

"Ever since we started dating and an got married, I wanted a child but I didn't expect it to happen her or at least not now. I didn't expect you would know right away."

"Neither did, I thought I would known around he same time as other women." Just than Hazel and Frank started to wake up, as they woke up and stretched that the plane stated it's descent. Percy woke up with a jolt as the plane started it's descent. Hazel put her hand on his shoulder.

"Sleep okay?" Percy sat up.

"How long was I out?" Frank had stood up as Percy woke up, Frank was in the aisle. He was wrapping his spear and new bow in his ski bag.

"A few hours, We're almost there." Emily and Bucky had been looking out of the windows, Emily could see the city of Anchorage ahead.

"Welcome to Alaska. We're beyond the help of the gods." With what Bucky did next that Emily knew that he was worried, more worried now than he would have been if he didn't know Emily was carrying his child. When they landed that the pilot said the plane couldn't wait for them, of which Emily was fine with as well as Percy. Emily wasn't too worried about flying, one because of Bucky and two because her best friend and sister in law was a daughter of Zeus. Zeus knows if he tries to harm her that he would have in angry daughter as well as having about half of the council go against him. However Zeus never threaten her even after he learned hades adopted her since he didn't have any problems with a daughter of Demeter. As they took a taxi into downtown Anchorage that Percy had told them about his dreams. Emily felt her heart pound when he told them about the giant's army closing in the camp. Emily wasn't roman but she had a home there, even if it was not a daily home and a job to do. When Percy told Frank about Tyson that Frank choked.

"You have a half-brother who's a Cyclops?"

"Sure, Which makes him your great-great-great—"

"Please. Enough."

"As long as he can get Ella to camp, I'm worried about her." Percy had nodded when Hazel said that. The taxi turned on highway one of which was more of a small street. It was late afternoon but the sip in was still high in the sky.

"I can't believe how much this place has grown."

"Been a long time since you visited, miss?"

"About seventy years." Emily smiled as he slid the glass partition closed and drove on in silence. Emily had been here shortly after Hazel died the first time and hadn't been back in the same amount of time. Though Bucky had never been here though, even though Emily, Hazel and Bucky were from the same time period. Emily and Hazel had pointed out the different features that changed and the landscape, though it was mostly Hazel that was doing the pointing out since she was here longer. There there was Hyperboreans, they were wading through the forests, fishing in the bay and striding across the mountains. The mortals didn't noticed the giants, for the taxi passed one that was close to the road.

"Um…" Frank pointed at the blue guy.

"Hyperboreans, Northern giants. I fought some when Kronos invaded Manhattan."

"Wait, When who did what?"

"Long story. But these guys look…I don't know, peaceful."

"We will tell you later Frank, there isn't much time left to talk about what happen in Manhattan. This guys are peaceful."

"They usually are, I remember them. They're everywhere in Alaska, like bears."

"Bears?"

"The giants are invisible to mortals. They never bothered me, though one almost stepped on me by accident once." None of the giants paid them any attention. One stood right at the intersection of Northern lights road, straddling the highway and they drove between his legs. The Hyperborean was cradling a Native American totem pole wrapped in furs and was humming to it like a baby. Emily had out her hand over her stomach as she watched the Hyperborean cradle the totem pole. It looked weird to see the giant doing that, and the sight would have been better if the tints was normal size. But the cradling reminded her too much that she was carrying a child, even if she hadn't been carrying it for very long. Bucky had notice this and put his arm around her, Emily put her head on his shoulder. The taxi drove through downtown past a bunch of tourists' shops selling different things. As the driver turned to the seashore that Hazel knocked on the glass.

"Here is good. Can you let us out?" They paid the drive and stepped into fourth street, downtown anchorage was tiny compared to most other downtowns of cities and towns. It was more like a college campus than a city, but Emily was amazed by it since downtown was much more smaller last time she was here than it was now. But she knows that there was not very many people who lived here and this was one place that Emily only went to once. That was only because Hades told her about Hazel and where she she went to and Emily wanted to see it for herself.

"It's huge. That—that's where the Gitchell Hotel used to be. My mom and I stayed there our first week in Alaska. And they've moved City Hall. It used to be there." Hazel and Emily led them down a few blocks though Hazel was in a daze. Emily knew that they needed to find a way to get to the glacier, but she was unsure if her shadow travel worked here or not. Before entering Alaska that Emily learned of where they needed to go and she told Hazel she was unsure if her Hades and Hestia powers worked there. She knows now that her Hestia powers didn't work here for that feeling or sense she had since the child was conceived were no longer there and it was a strange feeling. It seemed like her powers from Hades were not working either, for shadows always seem to bend to her as she walked as well as plants blooming in her presents. But the shadows didn't follow but the few flowers and plants she walked by bloom more or become more healthy. As they leaked that it was clear that Percy smell something.

"Food. Come on." It didn't take long for them to find a café right by the beach, it was bustling with people but they managed to get a table at the window and they looked though the menus. Frank whooped in delight,

"Twenty-four-hour breakfast!"

"It's, like, dinnertime."

"I love breakfast. I'd eat breakfast, breakfast, and breakfast if I could. Though, um, I'm sure the food here isn't as good as Hazel's." Hazel had elbowed Frank but her smile was playful, Emily and Bucky smirked as they watched Frank and Hazel and Bucky whispered.

"It's like watching us all over again."

"It does but without Steve and Lauren. Not only that but we can't make fun of Percy for not knowing too much about women since he is dating. We could make fun of Frank about not knowing enough about women. But that won't be as fun since neither one of us know him as well as we know Percy." Bucky was close of laughing when Emily said that.

"That is very true."

"You know, breakfast sounds great." All five of them ordered massive plates of eggs, pancakes and reindeer sausage. Frank looked a little worried about the reindeer.

"You think it's okay that we're eating Rudolph?"

"Dude, I could eat Prancer and Blitzen, too. I'm hungry." Frank had looked over at Emily after Percy said that. Frank had been asleep when Emily and Hazel and been tasking about her powers.

"I would change it to the normal sausage but I can't though. Hestia's blessing doesn't work here, even though Hades adopted me though mortals and godly means, I can't use those powers either." Emily rubbed the back of her neck. "It feels weird not being able to use those powers. When I was here last time that I hardly noticed it since I barely got those two blessings and I had used a boat to get here last time." But they started eating, Frank ate fast, the only other one she saw are that fast was Steve after the serum was in him. Between bites of blueberry pancake that Hazel Drew a squiggly curve and an C on her napkin.

"So this is what I'm thinking. We're here. Anchorage."

"It looks like a seagull's face. And we're the eye." Hazel glared at Percy, Emily almost laughed when Hazel glared at Percy.

"It's a map, Percy. Anchorage is at the top of this sliver of ocean, Cook Inlet. There's a big peninsula of land below us, and my old home town, Seward, is at the bottom of the peninsula, here." Hazel drew another X at the base of the seagull's throat. "That's the closest town to the Hubbard Glacier. We could go around by sea, I guess, but it would take forever. We don't have that kind of time." Frank had polished off the last of his Rudolph.

"But land is dangerous, Land means Gaea."

"I don't see that we've got much choice, though. We could have asked our pilot to fly us down, but I don't know…his plane might be too big for the little Seward airport. And if we chartered another plane—"

"No more planes, Please." Hazel held her hand up in a placating gesture.

"It's okay. There's a train that goes from here to Seward. We might be able to catch one tonight. It only takes a couple of hours." Hazel drew a dotted line between the two Xs.

"You just cut off the seagull's head."

"You are such a seaweed brain." Percy glared at Emily when she said that and she glared at him and he shrunk under her glare. Emily was glad to know her glare still worked.

"It's the train line. Look, from Seward, the Hubbard Glacier is down here somewhere." She tapped the lower right corner of her napkin. "That's where Alcyoneus is."

"But you're not sure how far?"

"I'm pretty sure it's only accessible by boat or plane."

"Boat."

"Fine. It shouldn't be too far from Seward. If we can get to Seward safely." Emily looked out of the window, there was so much to do and there was only a day left before the attack on the camp. Emily watched as a Hyperborean giant lumbered across the street and stepped into the bay. There was ice cracking under his sandals and he thrust his hands into the water, he pulled out a killer whale with one fist. It was clear hat was not what he wasted since he threw the whale back and kept wading.

"Good breakfast, Who's ready for a train ride?" The station wasn't far, they were just in time to buy tickets for the last train south. As Emily and the others climbed aboard that Percy said he would be with them in a second. Emily sat down next to Bucky, of who put his arms around her and she put her head on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"I am fine, I just feel odd, like someone ripped half of me away since we entered this Alaska." The conductor she shouted.

"All aboard." Emily could see left running, Percy just made it on board and climbed to join them and slid into his seat.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just…made a call." The train kept heading south, Emily watched as the landscape go by, things kept happening. Bald eagles soared overhead, there were bridges and cliffs of where there were glacial waterfalls tumbled thousands of feet down the rocks, they last forests buried in snowdrifts, as well as big artillery guns. There were lakes so clear that they reflected the mountains like mirrors, so the world looked upside down. Brown browns lumbered though the meadows and Hyperborean giants kept appearing in he strangest places. One was lounging in a lake like it was a hot tub and another was using a pine tree as a toothpick. A third one was sitting in a snowdrift playing with two life Mose like they were action figures. Frank was studied a map of Alaska. Emily kept her head on Bucky's shoulder but she had one of her arms over stomach. Even though she didn't have Hestia's blessing now, she knows that there was a child in her. Emily felt Bucky pulled her closer to him as Percy spoke.

"What are you thinking?"

"Just…possibilities." A hour later that Emily started to relax and she was beginning to get use to only having the powers she was giving at birth now. But than a shadow had passed overhead. The tourists murmured in excitement, Emily was concern for she was getting the feeling that shadow belong to something dangerous. Than a tourist had yelled.

"Eagle!"

"Eagle?"

"Huge eagle!"

"That's no eagle." Emily looked out of the window just in time for the creature to make a second pass, Emily panicked when she saw the creature. She had heard about the creature but she never seen one before now, it was at a. Moment like this that she wish that she had her Hades powers.m

"There's another one! Strike that. Three, four. Okay, we're in trouble." They started circling and Percy was feeling for his own in his pocket.

"Those things look familiar..."

"Seattle. The Amazons had one in a cage. They're—" Than several things happened at once, the emergency brake screeched, pitching them forward. The tourist screamed and grumbled through the aisles, Bucky had managed to catch Emily before she tumbled off her seat, of her Bucky manage not to fall over was beyond Emily. The monsters swooped down and shattered the glass roof of the car, the entire train toppled off the rails. Emily ad the rest of the train fell to the side of the rail, Percy was picked up by a monster, Frank had managed to get up as Bucky helped her up. Just as Hazel and Emily stood up that an arrow hit the neck of the one carrying Percy and it let go of Percy. Percy had crashed though tree branches and into a snowbank, he managed to stand up and looked at the pine tree he shredded.

Emily and Bucky were to Percy's left while Hazel was at his back hitting any of her monsters that cameo pat her and Frank was to his left. Emily had grasp her poppy of which changed into her sword, she didn't dark risk using her Stygian iron sword. Emily heard Hazel gasp when her poppy changed into her sword. Percy had drew riptide and sliced off the wing of one of the monsters sent it spiraling into a tree. Emily solved though one as well as Percy and Bucky, but the defeated ones kept reforming at once. When Bucky and Emily got married that Bucky's father gave him a celestial bronze sword to help Bucky fight the monsters other than the bow and arrows. Though when it transformed that it becomes Bucky's wedding ring. Percy yelled.

"What are these things?" It was Emily who responded.

"Gryphons! We have to get them away from the train!" Emily had looked at the train as the attack went on, a glowing gray warrior in camouflage was fighting the gryphon away from the mortals. Emily noticed that Frank's spear was gone, Emily had figured of what the spear did but up till that moment, Emily hadn't been sure. Even without her Hades powers that she knew that gray warrior was dead, but the gray warrior was under Mars command not Hades that part was clear. For Emily knows that a certain amount of the dead that died in wars long past went to Mars or Ares.

"Used your last charge?"

"Yeah. I had to help the mortals. The spear just dissolved." Emily was proud of Frank, honestly there was a difference between a chief of ares and a child of Mars. It seems hard to believe that the children of a god and from different aspect could be so different from each other.

"Let's move the fight! Away from the tracks!" They stumbled through the snow, smacking and elicit gryphons as they went, they did the same thing to the ones that reformed each time they were killed. Emily woudk admit she didn't expect gryphons to look like this and knew that the Greeks had gryphons as well as the magical world. She had seen a couple of gryphons in the magical world but the gryphons in her Greek were so different. Fifty yards away from the tracks that the trees gave way to an open marsh. The ground was spongy as icy, it reminded Emily of bubble wrap. Frank was running out of arrows and Hazel was breathing hard as well as Bucky. Percy's sword wings were getting slower but Emily was the only one who was not being affected by this or sort of. She had tried to use her Hestia and Hades powers but it did no good. So she was forced to use her Demeter powers.

Thankfully they were in nature and she was strongest here in that respect. But one thing was clear that the gryphons were not trying to kill them for it seems like the gryphons wanted to picked them up and carry them off somewhere. Emily figured that they wanted to take them to their nest, that is what they would usually do in a case like this. Before moving too far that Percy tripped over something in the tall grass, Emily looked at him when he tripped. Emily had than noticed that there was a circle of scrap metal about the size of a tractor tire. It was a massive bird's nest, a gryphon's nest, the bottom was littered with old pieces of jewelry, an imperial gold dagger, a dented centurion's badge and two pumpkin sized eggs that look like real gold. Percy jumped into the best and pressed his sword tip against one of the eggs,

"Back off, or I break it!" The gryphons squeaked angrily, the buzzed around the nest snapped their beaks but they didn't attack. Emily, Buck, Hazel and Frank stood back to back with Percy with their weapons ready. Emily remembered that Gryphons collect gold, it was something she forget about and that must have why they attack the train they sense gold as well as demigods.

"Gryphons collect gold. They're crazy for it. Look—more nests over there."Frank nodded his last arrow.

"So if these are their nests, where were they trying to take Percy? That thing was flying away with him."

" they're working for him. Are these things smart enough to take orders?"

"I don't know. I never fought them when I lived here. I just read about them at camp."

"Weaknesses? Please tell me they have weaknesses."

"Horses. They hate horses—natural enemies, or something. I wish Arion was here!" When Hazel said that, that Emily looked over at Hazel and spoke.

"You meet my half brother?" Bucky, Percy, Frank and Hazel looked over at Emily when she said that. Bucky had spoke.

"How many siblings do you have?" Than Percy spoke.

"And you have a half brother that is a horse."

"So do you. Well you have two. One is Arion and the other is the original Pegasus. Arion is the son of Demeter and Poseidon or Ceres and Neptune, whichever one you prefer."

"It seems hard to believe that you have a horse that is your brother." Emily looked at Bucky when he said that.

"You spent over sixty five years as the winter soldier. Tell me which one is harder to believe." Bucky looked at Emily when she said that.

"You know what, it's harder to believe what I had been doing than you having a half brother that is a horse. There are weirder things than at in the godly world."

"No kidding." Emily looked away from Bucky and at the gryphons shrieked. They swirled around the nest with their red eyes glowing.m

"Guys, I see legion relics in this nest."

"I know."

"That means other demigods died here, or—"

"Frank, it'll be okay." One of the gryphons dived in, Percy raised his sword ready to stab the egg. The gryphon had veered off but the other gryphons were losing their patience. Emily wasn't sure of how much longer they could keep this up. Emily looked around trying to think of a way around this but it seems left had come up with something.

"I've got an idea, Hazel—all the gold in these nests. Do you think you can use it to cause a distraction?"

"I—I guess."

"Just give us enough time for a head start. When I say go, run for that giant." Emily, Bucky, Hazel and Frank looked at Percy, Frank gaped at Percy. But Emily knew what Percy was thinking for she had seen it in the battle of of Manhattan.

"You want us to run toward a giant?"

"Trust me, Ready? Go!"Hazel thrust her hand upward, from the dozen nests across the marsh that golden objects were shot into the sit, jewelry, weapons, coins, gold nuggets and gryphon eggs. The gryphons shrieked and flew after their eggs frantic to save them. Emily, Bucky and the others ran across the marsh, their feet splashed and crouched through the frozen marsh. Emily could hear the gryphons coming in after them and they were angry at them, thankfully the gin at hadn't noticed the commotion her. "Under! Crawl under!" They scrambled between the massive blue legs and flattened themselves in the mud crawling as close as they could to his loincloth. Emily tried to breath though her mouth, but that didn't help since the smell wasn't pleasant. It was at this moment she wished she had her death aura that was usually around her, she didn't always let it show but now was a good time as any. But se was unable to do that though.

"What's the plan? Get flattened by a blue rump?"

"Lay low, Only move if you have to." The gryphons arrives in a wave of angry beaks, talon and wings. They were swarming around the giants trying to get under his legs, Emily shifted some and she felt Bucky out his arms around her pulling her closer to him. The giant rumbled in surprised and he shifted and they had tortilla away to make sure that they didn't get flatten. The Hyperborean grunted, a little more irritated, and he swatted at the gryphons that were trying to get to the demigods that the giant didn't know were there. The gryphons squeaked in outrage and began peck in at his legs and hands, this the giant bellowed at the gryphons,

"Ruh? Ruh!" The Hyperborean took a deep breath and blow out a wave of cold air, Emily could feel the temperature drop. The gryphons' shrieking stopped and was replaced by the thunk of heavy objects hitting the mud.

"Come on, Carefully." They squirmed out from under the giant, all around the marsh trees were glazed with frost and a huge swath of the big was covered in fresh snow. Frozen gryphons stuck out of the ground like feathery Popsicles sticks, their wings were still spread, beaks open and eyes wide with surprise. If Tony was here he would have called them Capsicles of which was the nickname that he gave to Steve when the avengers were first formed. Emily and the others scrambled away train to stay out of the giant's vision of which wasn't hard to do. Since he was trying to figure out of how to string a frozen gryphon onto his necklace. Emily was still having a hard time believing that they sided with Kronos in the last Titan war with how innocent and peaceful. Hazel was wiping the ice and mud from her face,

"Percy… How did you know the giant could do that?"

"I almost got hit by Hyperborean breath once. We'd better move. The gryphons won't stay frozen forever."


	13. Chapter 13

Phil's pov

Phil was getting worried, not for Aubrey, she was sound asleep with her head on his shoulder and they were in her cabin on the Argo II. So he knows Aubrey was safe for now at least, he wasn't sure what will happen now the one prophecy was starting. He remember when Emily come and brought her to the avenger tower, a few days ago, that he was shocked to see her, he was even more shocked that she figured out about the Greek demigods and that he was one. Phil had been slightly worried that she would reject him when she learned he was Greek. He heard enough about the stories of the Greeks form the Romans to know that the Romans don't trust Greek very much. After Phil filled Aubrey more in about what he knew that she accepted and rejected the roman ways and decided to follow the Greek way instead. Of which surprised him greatly.

Honestly there hadn't been much of a difference between her and Apollo's Greek children. However Jason was surprised to see her just like Aubrey was surprised to see Jason at Camp Halfblood. Phil was more worried about Emily, just before the Argo II was ready to be boarded earlier that day that the avengers told him that Emily and Bucky went to check on her one half sibling Hazel. They told them of where the quest was going and Emily and Bucky would most likely be going, Alaska. All of them, but Lauren, were confused by his look of shock, surprise and worry, it was rare for him to remove his static expression expect when he was around Aubrey or he was worried for one of his half siblings, mostly Emily. Phil was one of two demigods that knew about Emily being alive before people learned that she was alive.

The other one was Arabella but she found out much later about it than Phil and it wasn't till Phil tried to recruit Arabella into the avengers before the battle of Manhattan, both of them, that he learned that she was Emily's half sister though Hades. She was more or less an avenger now, but she wasn't at first because she was at school when the avengers formed and assembled for the first time. It was hard to believe that they were sisters, though it was hard to believe he was a brother to Emily and Steve. Honestly Emily and Steve looked more like they could children of Apollo, Athena or Zeus, for it was uncommon for a child of Demeter to have blond hair and blue eyes. The most likely one of the three was Athena, considering their leadership skills and they way that they could come up with a plan. Though Steve had the higher leadership skills and come up with a plan easier than Emily but Emily was the one that plugged up the holes.

Phil was worried about Emily because he was unsure if she could use her powers in Alaska, even the ones that come from their mother. Phil hoped and prayed that the gods would protect while she was Alaska but he knew that was not going to happen. So he prayed that she will live though whatever awaits her in Alaska and that she would face it on, knowing Bucky was with her, that he felt better. But he does know she can take care of herself and she had her Greek training to fall back on as well as her weapons. But Alaska was a dangerous place to be for a demigod, no matter if the demigod was Greek or roman or even the group of demigods had both Greek and roman. As Phil sat there thinking of what might be happening to Emily that Aubrey stirred a little and opened her eyes. When Aubrey had opened she and looked up at him.

"Phill, are you all right?"

"Yeah, it's that I am not sure what is happening to Emily though. Alaska is dangerous place for a demigod."

"I am sure she would be fine, she has been alive longer than either one of us and had a lot more training as well. Besides by the day after tomorrow we should be in camp Jupiter and I am sure she would be there in Camp Jupiter."

"I hope you are right, Aubrey." Aubrey wrapped her arms around him and he pulled her closer to him and he kissed the top of her head. Hoping that she was indeed right. Than there was a knock on the door and Lauren walked in.

"Phil, Steve wants to talk to you." Phil had got off the bed and Aubrey followed suit and took his hand and they went up to talk to Steve.

Emily's pov

The five or them walked over land for about a hour, it was easy to keep the train tracks in sight. Thankfullymwithnehrnpowers over the plants that they were able to stay in the cover of the trees as much as possible. With the fighting they had done earlier and using her powers was making Emily tired, Bucky had noticed this and wrapped his arms around her as they walked. As they walked that they heard a helicopter flying in the direction of the train wreck and twice they heard the screech or gryphons. Thankfully the sounds were a long way off, Emily was sure she condo still fight but she couldn't be sure of how much more fighting she could take. If it was she was not in Alaska than she would be able to tell better and her powers were stronger there as well. That was mainly because she had Hades adopted blessing and Hestia's blessing, as well as Hecate's blessing but Emily never used it expect for in the wizarding world.

But the magic she used there was different from what they used, only a handful of people knows what kind of magic she uses. But those powers were very weak compared to the ones she was uses almost daily and Hecate knows that Emily doesn't use it unless if she was in the wizarding world. Hecate told her once that she didn't expect Emily to use the blessing all that much expect for the wizarding world. It was around midnight when the sun finally set and it got cold in the woods, Emily felt Bucky pull her closer to keep her warmer. Emily could see the stars, looking up at them reminded her of Bucky's and her first date. That was the Fourth of July fireworks and afterwards they went to Zeus's fist and Bucky had ask her to be his girlfriend. That was almost seventy years ago, what made that date extra special was that, not only was it the Fourth ofJuly, but it was her birthday as well. The northern lights were cranked up, Emily slightly as the lights cranked up, she wished that Bucky and Emily had that view back on their first date. It was a bit hard to believe, at the moment, that this place was beyond the gods.

"That's amazing."

"Bears." Hazel pointed, Emily looked to where Hazel was pointing, sure enough there was a couple of brown bears in the meadow a few hundred feet away. Their coats gleamed in the starlight. "They won't bother us. Just give them a wide berth." No one argued with Hazel, as they walked that Emily looked around, the more she looked around that she was starting to see why this was the land beyond the gods. Even though it was beautiful, Alaska was rough and untamed, there seem to be no rules, no prophecies no anything. Expect for danger, harsh wilderness and a bunch of animals and monsters, that mortals and demigods come at their own risk. Even though Emily wished that the world could be beautiful like this but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know what it would be like if there was always a threat just around the corner waiting to struck no matter if it was animals or monsters.

Emily had that feeling in Alaska while she had been here, the same feeling she got during World War II. That she was in danger, not just from HYDRA or Hitler, but form monsters, honestly she didn't want to have that feeling always there at the back of her mind nagging and making fun of her. Yes, she was always in danger when she wasn't in one of the camps or the underworld, but after almost eighty years of being in the godly world that she could handle herself outside of the camps and the underworld. But she can tell when a place was more dangerous when she goes there and Alaska was one. Emily was sure she could live by herself here with she learned over the years along with her birth powers helping her. It would have been a nice change and not be bothered by the gods for a while, but where would she if she had come here instead of accepting Hades's offer. For one thing she wouldn't have Bucky back or Lauren or Steve, two reasons of why she accepted Hades' offer.

After a couple more hours that they stumbled across a tiny village that was between the railroad tracks and a two lane road. The city limit sign said Moose Pass, standing next to the sign was an actual moose, at first Emily thought it was a statue that looked life like. That was till the moose had turned and bounded into the woods, Emily wished she and a camera for it would have been worth the shot to toes that picture. They passed a couple of houses, a post office and some trailers, everything was dark and closed up. On the end of town was a store with a picnic table and an old rusted petrol pump in front. The old pump looked like it was built in the 1940s or before, the store had a hand painted sign that read, moose pass gas.

"That's just wrong." Emily couldn't agree more, they collapsed around the picnic table, Hazel put her head in her hands and passed out. She was snoring when she passed out, Emily couldn't blame her, Frank took out some of the last sodas and some granola bars from the train ride and shared them with Emily, Bucky and Percy. The four of them are in silence watching till Frank spoke.

"Did you mean what you said earlier?" The three of them looked at Frank when he said that.

"About what?"

"About…being proud that we're related."

"Well, let's see. You single-handedly took out three basilisks while I was sipping green tea and wheat germ. You held off an army of Laistrygonians so that our plane could take off in Vancouver. You saved my life by shooting down that gryphon. And you gave up the last charge on your magic spear to help some defenseless mortals. You are, hands down, the nicest child of the war god I've ever met…maybe the only nice one. So what do you think?" Frank stared up at the northern lights that was still lighting up the night sky.

"It's just…I was supposed to be in charge of this quest, the centurion, and all. I feel like you guys have had to carry me."

"Not true."

"Percy is right, Frank." They all looked at Emily when she said that. "It can be tough when you have just be promoted more so with how recent you had come to camp. It can take years before you feel like you would be able to lead. But you are a leader in your own right. You have proven that fact throughout this quest. Do you know how many times I felt like I couldn't lead the howling commandos in World War II. You don't know how many times that had come across my mind during the war. Sometimes we doubt what we can do, but you need to push that aside and think of what you have done so far."

"I'm supposed to have these powers I haven't figured out how to use. Now I don't have a spear, and I'm almost out of arrows. And…I'm scared."

"I'd be worried if you weren't scared. We're all scared." Emily spoke up once more.

"Being scared is part of learning of what we can do, i was scared when I first learned I was a demigod. More so when I was being chased by the Manticore, at that time I was unaware I was a demigod till after Lauren killed it."

"But the Feast of Fortuna is… It's after midnight, isn't it? That means it's June twenty-fourth now. The feast starts tonight at sundown. We have to find our way to Hubbard Glacier, defeat a giant who is undefeatable in his home territory, and get back to Camp Jupiter before they're overrun—all in less than eighteen hours."

"And when we free Thanatos, he might claim your life. And Hazel's. Believe me, I've been thinking about it." Emily looked over at Hazel, Emily knew that there was a chance that Frank and Hazel might be claimed by death. But she knows Thanatos had let it slid when Hazel had come back to the world of the living just like with Hades.

"She's my best friend, I lost my mom, my grandmother…I can't lose her, too." Emily knew how Frank felt of losing family, Bucky had put his arms around her once more and she leaned back into him. She had lost Bucky, Steve, and Lauren for a while. For a little amount of time she thought Steve and Bucky were dead only to learn that wasn't true. Emily knew that it would be difficult to bring back Frank's family and honestly, Emily didn't think they want to come back. Than Percy spoke.

"I'm not going to lose either of you, I'm not going to let that happen. And, Frank, you are a leader. Hazel would say the same thing. We need you." Frank lowered his head and started to snore along side Hazel.

"Another inspiring speech from Jackson. Rest up, Frank. Big day ahead." Not long after Percy fell asleep that Emily and Bucky had fell asleep as well. When Emily woke up that she was still in Bucky's arms, it was when Emily woke up at she realized it was dawn and the owner had come to the store. He felt sorry for the five of them and treated them with breakfast as well as some extra food from his store. Than he cloaked a friend of his that had a best up ford pickup that looked like it was new when Hazel was born. Percy was sitting in the front with the old man, while Emily, Bucky, Hazel and Frank were sitting in the back. When the trunk broke down that they decided to walk it, by mid morning that they climbed over a rise in the road and saw small bay ringed with mountains. The town was a thin crescent on the right had shore.

"Seward," Hazel didn't sound happy to see her old home. They lost a lot of time already and they needed to get a move on. Percy had stepped off the road to the meadows.

"Come on." Just by the one step that Emily noticed that the ground was squishy, Emily knew it was going to be bad so did Hazel. Unless if Hazel knew about something Emily,didn't know.

"Percy, no!" Percy's next step went straight through the ground. He sank like a stone and the earth closed over his head. Emily panicked as it closed over Percy.

"YOUR BOW!" Frank dropped his pack and slipped the bow off of his shoulder. "Hold one end, Don't let go." Before Hazel touched the bow that Emily had grasp her hand and Hazel looked at Emily. Emily may not have her Hades power and have a better control over the earth, but Emily till had some of it. She knows that the mud hole was deep. Emily,looked at Hazel.

"I am coming down." Hazel was about reads to say something but Emily spoke. "Hazel, you may have some control over the earth but I do as well form my mother and I have a better control over this you and I would be able to use to help us breath." Hazel nodded when Emily said that. Hazel grabbed the other end of the bow, Emily took a deep breath before she jumped in the big and followed by Hazel. When the earth closed over Emily that she managed to grasp hold of Percy's hand before she was frozen into a memory.

Emily was standing in the room she found Bucky all those years ago and Bucky was tied to the table. But there was something wrong, his blue eyes were blank white, he looked like he was in perfect instead of the weaken state that she found him in. Emily was panicked and she wasn't sure what was going on till she heard a woman's voice.

'Oh my dear, not to worry.' The voice had come from Bucky, Emily backed up to the table behind her ad she grasped it with her hands. This couldn't be happening, as soon as she thought that Bucky spoke with the woman's voice. 'It is happening, dear. Long have I wanted to meet you but I never got the chance to the last time I stirred.' Emily,starred at Bucky.

"Gaea!" The voice chuckled when Emily said that.

"You are a quick learner, dear. I can see why Hestia picked you as a champion and why Hades adopted you." Suddenly the belt that strapped Bucky down were loose and Bucky got off and walked to her and spoke as he did so. "You can come back and stay here and live the life you were meant to." Emily slid to one side and backed away form Bucky or Gaea.

"No, this is fake. This is not real. I lived my life without dying and I loved the life I was meant and suppose to have." Gaea clicked Bucky's mouth when Emily said that.

"What is real? Is your life real? If Hades hadn't adopted you, you would be died." Emily stared at Gaea of who was speaking through Bucky.

"My life is more real than this." Emily could feel her grip on Percy and Hazel becoming stronger. "All you doing is offering another life I could have had. But honestly, I don't see much of a difference from this time to now. I am married to Bucky now." Gaea chuckled when emit said that.

"True, but if you went back that you still would have married him but have lived a normal life with him and got old with him. Your legacy would have been going on."

"It will be like hat now, instead of sixty years ago."

"But there is one last thing, your sister, Arabella." Panic filled Emily when Gaea said that, Bucky's head tilted as she spoke though him. "She try to find the doors with your half brother. You should be glad I captured her since they tried to use you." Emily stopped her foot and Bucky fell to the floor, he looked at her surprised. Emily,glared down at Bucky, knowing it was Bucky.

"They never used me and never well, I am the champion of Hestia. Family and friends are more important than going back and living a ripe full life though time once more. I know that I will still have a full life even if I die while stopping you. I prefer to die and rot than to go back as repeat a life that I know I already have." Bucky gave her a dirty look. Than Gaea spoke though Bucky.

"Very well, Emily. Until we meet again." The next thing Emily knew that she was in the bog, she could feel Hazel's hand and she could feel Percy's grip on her hand. Emily manage to move some of the earth away from them to breath, but it was difficult though since it seems Gaea was pushing it back. Emily coils tell Gaea was talking tomHazel as well, she wasn't sure of how she knew that but she did. Than Emily felt herself being pulled up, when Emily broke though the surface that she cough and spitting mud into the ground. Emily, Percy and Hazel were breathing heavy form what they had been going though and Frank was yelling as well as Bucky.

"Oh, gods! Oh, gods! Oh, gods!"

"Emily, Emily, are you all right." Bucky pulled Emily away from the others and he started helping her get cleaned up or tried his best. Whirl Frank took care of Hazel and Percy. Emily could hear Frank as Bucky helped her cleaned up.

"You were down there so long!mI didn't think—oh, gods, don't ever do something like that again!"

"Can't—breathe."

"Sorry!" When they were by the side of the road, all three of them were sitting, shivered and spit up mud clods. Hazel had explained the vision that she had in the bog. She even told them about Nico being captured. It was clear that Hazel was worried that Gaea did captured Nico. If Gaea told Hazel that as well, than it has to be true.

"I think she did captured him." Emily than explained the vision she got as well, than Emily has no idea of why Gaea appeared to her since Emily,was not one of the eight. Unless if she thought of Emily as the leader of the four that help the eight that Emily told about by the gods, no one spoke for a minute when Emily said that. But Bucky spoke up.

"Are you sure that Gaea was speaking though me in the vision?"

"Yes." Emily shivered at the thought. "It was creepy and scarier thins on the Helicarrier when you were the winter solider. I thought it couldn't get scarier or weirder than that." Percy had rubbed his shoulders and his lips were blue.

"You—you saved me, Emily and Hazel. We'll figure out what happened to Nico and Arabella, I promise." Emily looked at the sun, it felt good after being down there for a while. But she was still trembling though.

"Does it seem like Gaea let us go too easily?" As Bucky plunked out a mud clod from her hair that Percy plunked a mud clod from his hair.

"Maybe she still wants us as pawns. Maybe she was just saying things to mess with your mind."

"She knew what to say. She knew how to get to me." Frank put his jacket around her shoulders before he spoke.

"This is a real life. You know that, right? We're not going to let you die again." Frank sounded determined, Hazel pressed her cost pocket of which Emily was sure of where the firewood was. Emily managed to stand up as well as Hazel and Percy.

"We should get going. We're losing time." Emily and Percy looked down the road at the town.

"Any hotels or something where we could clean off? I mean...hotels that accept mud people?"

"I'm not sure. I might know a place we can freshen up." They followed Hazel into town, guessed that Hazel been on this route before. She led them along third avenue, there was a railroad station, a two story hotel and a few other things. Instead of go into the hotel like Emily expected that they turned to the shoreline, Hazel walked towards an old house that didn't look safe. The roof was sagged, the walls had holes, the door was boarded up.

"Come on."

"Uh, you sure it's safe?" Hazel found an open window and climbed inside followed by the others, their feet kicked up dust. There was mouldering cardboard boxes that were stacked along the walls, there was faded labels read, greeting cards, assorted seasonal. Emily wondered why this house had a bunch of cards in it, Frank spoke dragging her out of her thoughts.

"It's warmer in here, at least. Guess no running water? Maybe I can go shopping. I'm not as muddy as you guys. I could find us some clothes." It seemed that Hazel didn't hear Frank. Hazel was climbing over a stack of boxes in the corner. Emily followed Hazel over as she moved an old sign, what surprised Emily was old drawings and photos. In one photo showed a woman who looked so much like Hazel that it was unbelievable, next to that picture was one that couldn't be possible there but yet it was there, in that picture was a boy no more than 15 years old, he had black curly hair, a crazy grin like a child of Hermes and similar eye color to Leo. If Emily didn't know any better that was Leo. Frank had his fingers hovered over the pictures.

"Who…?" Hazel started to cry. "Sorry, Hazel. This must be really hard. Do you want some time—"

"No. No, it's fine."

"Is that your mother? She looks like you. She's beautiful."

"Who is that?"

"That's…that's Sammy. He was my—uh—friend from New Orleans." emily had noticed that Hazel wasn't looking at Frank as she said that.

"I've seen him before." Emily bit her lip, she remembers when Percy brought up about the Argo II., she knows Leo was working on it. Leo and Percy haven't meant yet, Percy had most likely saw Leo working on the Argo II in that dream.

"You couldn't have, That was in 1941. He's…he's probably dead now."

"I guess. Still…" Emily stepped closer to the pictures as franks shook his head, she touched the face of the boy named Sammy.

"Hazel?" Emily looked at Hazel of who looked at her. "What was his last name?"

"Valdez, why?" Emily stood stock still, than she looked over at Bucky of who looked just as surprised as she did. "Emily?" Emily looked over at Hazel.

"It's nothing." Emily wasn't sure if she should say anything, she wasn't sure if she was correct in assuming what she was thinking. If she had her Hestia powers that she might be able to tell but she didn't though. Frank than cleared his throat.

"Look, we passed a store on the last block. We've got a little money left. Maybe I should go get you guys some food and clothes and—I don't know—a hundred boxes of wet wipes or something?" Hazel put the gold prospecting sign back over her pictures and drawings, Emily figured it hurt Hazel in some way of looking at those pictures and drawings,

"That would be great. You're the best, Frank."

The floorboards creaked under his feet. "Well…I'm the only one not completely covered in mud, anyway. Be back soon." The floorboards creaked under his feet, before Frank could leave that Bucky spoke up.

"I am not covered in mud either, I can come with you." When they were gone that they made temporary camp, they took off their jackets and tried to scrape off the mud. As Emily got some mud out of her jacket that she decided to try to clean it better latter after leaving Alaska. They managed to find some old blankets and used them to clean up, the greeting cards made good places to rest if you arranged them like a mattress. Percy had set his sword on the floor where it glowed with a faint bronze light. Emily was laying on birthday cards from different years.

"Thank you both for saving me. I should've told you that earlier."

"You would have done the same for me."

"Yes, But when I was down in the mud, I remembered that line from Ella's prophecy—about the son of Neptune drowning. I thought. 'This is what it means. I'm drowning in the earth.' I was sure I was dead." What surprised Emily was that Percy's voice quavered, this had to be the first time that she ever heard him have a quaver in his voice. It sounded odd to hear that coming from Percy.

"Percy, that prophecy might not have been complete. Frank thought Ella was remembering a burned page. Maybe you'll drown someone else."

"You think so?" Emily smiled as Percy and Hazel spoke. It was like watching old friends coming back together.

"You're going to make it back home. You're going to see your girlfriend Annabeth."

"You'll make it back, too, Hazel. We're not going to let anything happen to you. You're too valuable to me, to the camp, and especially to Frank." Hazel picked up an old valentine, the lady white paper fell apart in her hands.

"I don't belong in this century. Nico only brought me back so I could correct my mistakes, maybe get into Elysium."

"There's more to your destiny than that. We're supposed to fight Gaea together. I'm going to need you at my side way longer than just today. And Frank—you can see the guy is crazy about you. This life is worth fighting for, Hazel."

"Please, don't get my hopes up. I can't—" Emily was about ready to say something that the window creaked open, Frank and Bucky climbed in holding some shopping bags.

"Success!" They showed off of what they got, they got a new quiver of arrows for frank's bow, some rations and a coil of rope of which Emily found odd. "For the next time we run across muskeg." From the local tourist shop that they brought five sets of fresh clothes, some towels, some soap, some bottled water and a huge box of wet wipes. Emily had took some wet wipes and the one set of clothes before ducking behind some greeting cards to get washed and changed. Emily had folded up her jacket that she had been wearing and put it on the belt that was put of the clothes she got. She had stepped out at the same time Hazel did.

"So, Now we find a boat to Hubbard Glacier."

"If we're going to battle to the death, I want lunch first. I found the perfect place." Frank led them to a shopping plaza near the wharf, whee an old railway car had been converted to a diner. While Frank, Percy and Bucky ordered that Emily and Hazel asked around, the news they got wasn't very good to hear. When they went back that Hazel needed to be cheered and the food wouldn't work.

"We're in trouble, we tried to get a boat. But…I miscalculated."

"No boats?"

"Oh, I can get a boat. But the glacier is farther than I thought. Even at top speed, we couldn't get there until tomorrow morning." Percy turned paled when Hazel said that.

"Maybe I could make the boat go faster?"

"Even if you could, from what the captains tell me, it's treacherous—icebergs, mazes of channels to navigate. You'd have to know where you were going."

"A plane?" Emily shook her head as Hazel spoke

"I asked the boat captains about that. They said we could try, but it's a tiny airfield. You have to charter a plane two, three weeks in advance."

They ate in silence after that, Emily had ate four bites when a raven settled on the telephone. When Emily saw the raven that she shuddered, Emily knows what that means when one sees a raven,more so on a quest. Emily wasn't the only one who reacted to the raven, for Hazel had shivered when she saw the raven. Emily looked down, but as she did that the raven's cawing changed to a strangled help. Frank got up so fast that he nearly toppled the picnic table, Percy drew his sword while Bucky also drew his sword. Emily looked to where the raven had been, where the raven was a fat ugly gryphon that glared down at them. Emily and Hazel stood and drew their own swords. Frank nocked an arrow and took aim, but the gryphon shrieked making Frank flinched and his shot missed.

"I think that's a call for help,mWe have to get out of here." The five of them ran to the ducks, as they ran that Emily looked over at Bucky of who looked at her and spoke.

"Is this normal on Quests?"

"Which could of normal do you mean?"

"Running."

"At times yes, but only when we are outnumbered."

"Are quests always had monsters and fights like this?"

"Yes. Welcome to the demigod world, Bucky." Bucky glared at her when she said that, Emily shrugged when he did that. "You should known what kind of world I was part of in the war. You were aware to some of it but not all of it." The gryphon dove after them but Percy slashed at it with his sword but the gryphon veered out of reach. They took the steps to the nearest pie and raced to the end, the gryphon swooped after them, it's front claws extended for the kill. Emily raised her sword but an icy wall of water slammed sideways into the gryphon and washed it into the bay. Emily smiled as the gryphon squawked and flapped it's wings, it managed to scramble onto the pier and shook like a dog.

"Nice one, Percy."

"Yeah, Didn't know if I could still do that in Alaska. But bad news—look over there." They looked to where Percy pointed, about a mile away, over the mountains, a black cloud was swirling. A whole flock or gryphons was flying towards them, there was no way to outrun them and no boat to use that was fast enough even with Percy's help. Frank nocked another arrow while Percy raised his sword.

"Not going down without a fight."

"I'm with you." Emily and Bucky raised their swords, than Emily heard the oddest sound, a whinnying of a horse. Hazel than cried out,

"Arion! Over here!" A tan blue was ripping down the street and onto the pier. The stallion materialized right behind the gryphon and brought his front hooves down, smashing the monster to dust. Emily smiled as Arion did that, Arion looked pleased with himself and he looked at Emily and the unexpected happen.

'Hey sis.' If Bucky hadn't grasp her waist, she would have fell into the ater behind her out of shock. Emily stared at Arion as well as Percy.

"That was the first time I ever head him not use foul language." Arion nickered when Percy said that. "Who is Sis?"

"He was talking to me. Who else could it be." Percy looked at her when Emily said that. "Zero some reason I can understand Arion."

'Well duh, silly. You are my half sister. Children of Demeter or Ceres can understand me like a child of Poseidon or Neptune can understand me.'

"Thar would explain it than." Hazel hugged Arion.

"Good horse! Really good horse!" Frank had backed up and almost fell off the pier like Emily was close of doing but he caught himself.m

"How—?"

"He followed me! Because he's the best—horse—EVER! Now, get on!

"All five of us?mCan he handle it?"

'Of course I can ... ' Emily tried not to listen to the rest of what Arion said, seriously if her mother knew what Arion was saying that she would freak out more this she did when Persephone was kidnapped by Hades. That was saying something.

"All right, no need to be rude. Let's go." They climbed on Arion, Hazel was in front, Frank was right behind Hazel. Percy was behind Frank, Emily was behind Percy while Bucky was behind her and he had a a good grip around her. Emily was sure that was because Bucky didn't want to lose her again.

"Run, Arion! To Hubbard Glacier!" Arion shot across the water, his hooves turning the too of the sea to steam.


	14. Chapter 14

Emily couldn't believe as Arion raced across the sea to get to the Hubbard Glacier, neither Emily or Hazel were holding as tightly as Bucky, Percy and Frank. Emily wondered why that was, however Emily had got used to riding Mrs. O'Leary for basically seventy years and shadow travel. Riding Arion didn't. Seem as different as riding Mrs. O'Leary in battle. Though Emily wished she had Arion or Mrs. O'Leary. In the war, she did have Mrs. O'Leary in the war but she didn't become hers till Daedalus had went back into the Labyrinth. That had been Mrs. O'Leary's saddest day other than when Daedalus had died some seventy years later. That was two years ago before Emily even knew what happened to Bucky and what he had become. Emily could feel Bucky's grip on her tighten of which Emily didn't mind at all, they raced pas blue fjords and cliffs with waterfalls spilling into the sea.

Arion jumper over a breaching humpback whale and kept galloping, he startled a pack of seals off an iceberg. Emily shook her head as she watched the pack of seal swim away before they were quickly out of sight by how fast Arion was going. It seem like only minutes when they zipped into a narrow bay, the water turned into shaved ice like blue sticky syrup. Than Arion had come to a halt on a frozen turquoise slab, it was hard not to mistake that glacier in front of them. Emily couldn't quite believe what she was seeing at the moment, the glacier was blue and white with streaks of black, so it looked more like dirty snow in the cities than what was suppose to be on a glacier. There was a massive valley between two of the largest peaks and a ragged wall of ice rose out of the sea filling the entire gorge. Emily could feel the temperature drop when Arion and stopped running, she could feel waves of cool coming from the glacier. There was a sound coming from the glacier and it sounded like thunder, almost like a storm was coming. There were clouds above the glacier.

"What is that? A storm?"

"No, Ice cracking and shifting. Millions of tons of ice."

"You mean that thing is breaking up?" On cur, a sheet of ice had split off the side of the glacier and crashed into the sea below it. It sprayed water everywhere in that area and frozen shrapnel shot several stories high and a millisecond later the sound hit them. It could match the sound Arion reached when he was hitting the sound barrier. "We can't get close to that thing!"

"We have to. The giant is at the top." Arion started using foul language once more. Emily rolled her eyes as Arion spoke and nickered. "Jeez, Hazel. tell your horse to watch his language."

"What did he say?"

"With the cussing removed? He said he can get us to the top."

"I thought the horse couldn't fly!" Emily winced as Arion whined angrily at Frank, Emily knows times had changed but at times she still felt she was back in the 1940s and there things she wished could remain as they had been in the 1940.

"Dude, I've gotten suspended for saying less than that. Hazel, he promises you'll see what he can do as soon as you give the word."

"Um, hold on, then, you guys, Arion, giddyup!" Arion shot toward the glacier like a runaway rocket barreling straight across the slush like he wanted to play a game of king on the mountains or something like that. The air got colder, the crackling of ice grew louder as Arion closed the distance that the glacier seem so much bigger than it did back when Arion and stopped and they got their first view of it. As they drew closer to the Glacier that Emily thought back to when she first saw Hogwarts in Arabella's first year, she couldn't believe it when she saw Hogwarts. But with the things she had seen in the godly world that nothing should surprise her any more. When they were fifty yards away from the base that a thunderclap and a curtain of ice that would have camp Jupiter spilt away and fell towards them.

"Look out!" Arion was ahead of Frank, in a burst of speed that he zigzagged through the debris and leaped,over chunks of ice, clambering up the face of the glacier. Emily had to hold onto Percy while Bucky held onto her tighter as to not fall off Arion. Percy and Frank were cussing as Arion scales the cliffs and jumping with speed and agility that seem impossible, it felt like they were falling down the mountain but they were going up. It was the weirdest feeling ever, Emily was rather glad that he peers she had got from Hestia were not working at the moment. For she couldn't begin to think of what it would like with the sense of her child in her as Arion climbed, after what felt like forever that it stopped, Arion stood proudly on top of a ridge of ice that looked over the void, he sea was three hundred feet below them. Arion than whined a challenge before he turned and Ron's inland across the top of the glacier leaping a chasm fifty feet across.

"There!" Percy pointed and Arion went to a stop, Emily gasp at what she was seeing in front of them. It was there in front of her but it seems hard to believe. Ahead of them stood a frozen roman camp like a giant sized ghastly replica of Camp Jupiter. It was rather creepy and odd, the trenches bristled with ice spikes, the snow brick ramparts glared blinding white, hanging from the guard towers were banners of frozen blue cloth shimmering in the arctic sun. There was no sing of life and the gates stood wide open, there was no sentries that walked the walls. Emily felt uneasy about this, if she had her powers from Hades she would be able to tell if there was any life in there or not. Not only that but Emily felt that the earth was trying to wake up and consume everything on it's path. It felt pure evil, so dark and cold that there could be no warmth in it, it was an unsettling feeling. Arion trotted skittishly as though he could sense what Emily was sensing.

"Frank, Emily, Bucky, how about we go on foot from here?" Franks signed with relief, even with how much most of the ride was that Emily wanted for as well.

"Thought you'd never ask." Emily, Bucky, Frank and Percy got off of Arion and room some tentative steps forward, it seems that the ice was stable. It was covered with a fine carpet of snow so that the ice wasn't as slippery as it could of been of which Emily was glad of. Hazel urged Arion forward, Percy and Frank were on one side while Emily and Bucky were in the other side of Arion. Emily, Bucky, Percy and Frank had their weapons ready for anything that they might be facing. They approached the gates without be challenged, there was no traps set up from the looks of the road ahead of them. Emily could see straight down the Via Praetoria, at the crossroads in front of the snow brick Principia was a tall dark robes figure stood bound in icy chains.

"Thanatos." Emily looked at Hazel when she said that, Emily knew it was Thanatos when she saw the figure, for when she saw Thanatos that she felt her soul being pulled toward him like it always does when he was around. However the pull to her was not powerful and it seem like it wasn't for the others expect for Hazel. For she almost fell from Arion but Frank caught her and propped her up.

"We've got 's taking you away." Hazel gripped Frank's hand.

"I'm all right." Emily had reached up and grasp Hazel's other hand, Hazel looked down at Hazel and Emily spoke.

"You will be fine." Percy was lookin around.

"No defenders? No giant? This has to be a trap."

"Obviously. But I don't think we have a choice." Before anything else could be said that Hazel urged Arion forward through the gates, as they walked through the gates that Emily felt put his arms around her as though he felt he would lose her to death like she had lost him to death. Emily looked around as they walked forward, Emily couldn't believe of how much this place looked like Camp Jupiter, she wouldn't be surprised if the roman Mount Olympus looked something this mixed with New Rome. They stopped ten feet from the robes figure, Emily felt Bucky's arms tighten around her. Emily noticed that Arion was cantered back and forth as though sensing something was wrong with Hazel.

"Hello? Mr. Death?" The nodded figure raised his head, when that happen that the whole camp,stirred to life, Emily looked around as figures in roman armor emerged from the barracks, the Principia, the armory, and the canteen. Even without her Hades powers that she knew that this were not human, that they were shades instead. Their bodies were more wisps of black vapor but they somehow managed to hold together armor, greaves, and helmets. Frost covered swords were strapped to their waists, pika and dented shields were floating in their smokey hands. The plumes on the centurion's helmets were frozen and ragged. Most of the shades were on foot but two soldiers burst out of the stables in a golden chariot pulled by ghostly black steeds. When Arion saw the horses that he stamped the ground in outrage.

"Yep, here's the trap."

"No kidding." The ghost formed ranks and encircled the crossroads, there was about a hundred in all, not enough to make a legion but it was more than a cohort. Some were scripting different banners from different times including the lastest bunch form the 1980s. The one that was lead by Michael Varus's doomed expedition, the one of where both Emily and the augur war ed him not to go on. Emily wasn't sure what awaited for Michael but she knows that the prophecy of the eight were not for him. Most were armed with imperial gold weapons, more than what the entire twelfth legion possessed. Hazel turned back to Thanatos as the shades surrounded them.

"Thanatos! We're here to rescue you. If you control these shades, tell them—" Hazel had faltered, everyone had looked back at Thanatos, out of them all that the only one that ever saw Thanatos was Emily. His hood fell away and his robes dropped off as he spread his wings so that he was only in a sleeveless black tunic belted at the waist. His skin was the color of teak wood, dark and glistening like an old Séance table. His eyes were as honey gold as Hazel's eyes, he was lean and muscular with a regal face. His black hair was flowing down his shoulders, his wings glimmered in shades of blue, black and purple. Emily had similar reaction as Hazel, Frank, Percy and Bucky were having when she first meet Thanatos. There were not as many gods or goddess that seem as timeless as Thanatos. "Oh." His wrists were shackled in icy manacles with chains that ran straight into the glacier floor, his feet were bare and shackled around the ankles that were also chained.

"It's Cupid."

"A really buff Cupid." Emily snorted when Percy and Frank said that, she would admit she thought the same thing as they did. If she hadn't been in the underworld at the time than she would have said it out loud like they did. But she knows that Cupid couldn't go to the underworld. When Thanatos spoke that his voice was deep and melodious.

"You compliment me, I am frequently mistaken for the god of love. Death has more in common with Love than you might imagine. But I am Death. I assure you." Than he looked over at Emily and bowed his head in respect, Thanatos had seen her enough times in both appearances to know who she was. "Princess, it is a pleasure to see you again. Though I didn't expect to meet like this, princess."

"It's all right Thanatos. I didn't know that I would be coming up here till yesterday."

"We're—we're here to save you. Where's Alcyoneus?" Thanatos looked over at Hazel when she said that, he narrowed his eyes as he looked at her.

"Save me…? Do you understand what you are saying, Hazel Levesque? Do you understand what that will mean?"

"We're wasting time." Emily was about ready to tell Percy no when she realized what he was going to do, he swung his sword at the god's chains. Celestial bronze rang against the ice, but riptide stuck to the chain like glue, frost began to creep up the blade. It took Emily, Frank and Percy to yank out Riptide from the frost before it reached their hands.

"That won't work. As for the giant, he is close. These shades are not mine. They are his." Thanatos's eyes scanned the ghost soldiers, they shifted uncomfortably. It was like they know who he was but they were not under his control, for for the first time at she wished she had her a hades Powers.

"So how do we get you out?" Thanatos turned back to Hazel.

"Daughter of Pluto, child of my master, you of all people should not wish me released."

"Don't you think I know that?" Emily looked at Hazel as she drew her cavalry sword, Arion reared in defiance. Emily could see the brave roman solider that Emily knows was in her come out. "Listen, Death. I didn't come back from the Underworld and travel thousands of miles to be told that I'm stupid for setting you free. If I die, I die. I'll fight this whole army if I have to. Just tell us how to break your chains." Thanatos studied Hazel for a heartbeat before he spoke,

"Interesting. You do understand that these shades were once demigods like you. They fought for Rome. They died without completing their heroic quests. Like you, they were sent to Asphodel. Now Gaea has promised them a second life if they fight for her today. Of course, if you release me and defeat them, they will have to return to the Underworld where they belong. For treason against the gods, they will face eternal punishment. They are not so different from you, Hazel Levesque. Are you sure you want to release me and damn these souls forever?"

"That's not fair! Do you want to be freed or not?"

"Fair… You'd be amazed how often I hear that word, Frank Zhang, and how meaningless it is. Is it fair that your life will burn so short and bright? Was it fair when I guided your mother to the Underworld?" Frank looked like he had been punched. "No. Not fair. And yet it was her time. There is no fairness in Death. If you free me, I will do my duty. But of course these shades will try to stop you." Emily looked at Frank and spoke.

"Frank, that is the way death is. Even if there was no gods, death would still be unfair. There are choices that the demigods make that will determine of what they face in the afterlife even when given a second chance. But there are those that can try for rebirth to change but they don't always have that option." Frank looked at Emily when she said that. "However in times like this, that some things and some people can be overlooked and given a second chance by the gods. That is if there is a reason for it." When Emily said that, that she felt Bucky held her closer to him, Emily knows that he knows she was talking about him.

"So if we let you go, we get mobbed by a bunch of black vapor dudes with gold swords. Fine. How do we break those chains?"

"Only the fire of life can melt the chains of death."

"Without the riddles, please?" Emily rolled his eyes, Thanatos couldn't make it much more plain other than saying that Frank had to put his life on the line by burning his lifeline. Frank understood and drew a shaky breath.

"It isn't a riddle."

"Frank, no. There's got to be another way." Laughter boomed across the glacier and a rumbling voice followed it.

"My friends. I've waited so long!" They all looked to the gates of the camp, there stood Alcyoneus, he wasn't quite as big as his younger brother, king of the giants, was. But that wasn't a big surprise. He has metallic golden skin, armor made from platinum links, and an iron staff the size of a totem pol, his rust red dragon legs pounded on the ice as he entered the camp. Precious stones glinted in his red braided hair, the giant approached and grinned at Hazel with silver teeth.

"Ah, Hazel Levesque, you cost me dearly! If not for you, I would have risen decades ago, and this world would already be Gaea's. But no matter!" He spread his hands showing off his ranks of ghostly soldiers.

"Welcome, Percy Jackson! Welcome, Frank Zhang! Welcome Emily Barnes! Welcome Bucky Barnes! I am Alcyoneus, the bane of Pluto, the new master of Death. And this is your new legion." Emily looked at Frank, he might be one the nicest child,of Mars or Ares, but with what she knows of Mars and most of his lovers that children of Mars would put their duties first ahead of everything. Throughout the years Emily saw this and she always tried to be fair when it comes to judgement of the dead. She knew that if some sacrifice themselves that would give them a ticket to a better after life. It was important things of life and being alive as long as she had been that she knew family, friends and home were just important. For they were among the reasons for sacrifices, she gave much of her time helping her father and demigods find homes. There were other reasons for a sacrifice.

"Hazel. That package you're keeping for me? I need it." Emily looked over at Hazel of who glanced down at Frank in dismay,

"Frank, no. There has to be another way."

"Please. I—I know what I'm doing." Thanatos smiled and lifted his manacled wrists.

"You're right, Frank Zhang. Sacrifices must be made." Alcyoneus stepped forward, Emily had her celestial bronze sword out and Bucky had his own out as well. As Alcyoneus stepped forward that hai feet was shaking the ground.

"What package do you speak of, Frank Zhang? Have you brought me a present?"

"Nothing for you, Golden Boy. Except a whole lot of pain."

"Spoken like a child of Mars! Too bad I have to kill you. And this one...my, my, I've been waiting to meet the famous Percy Jackson." The giant grinned when he said that and looked at Percy Jackson.

"I've followed your progress, son of Neptune. Your fight with Kronos? Well done. Gaea hates you above all others…except perhaps for that upstart Jason Grace. I'm sorry I can't kill you right away, but my brother Polybotes wishes to keep you as a pet. He thinks it will be amusing when he destroys Neptune to have the god's favorite son on a leash. After that, of course, Gaea has plans for you." Percy raised Riptide.

"Yeah, actually I'm the son of Poseidon. I'm from Camp Half-Blood." The ghosts stirred when Percy said that, some Drew swords and lifted shields, Alcyoneus raised his hand gesturing them to wait.

"Greek, Roman, it doesn't matter. We will crush both camps underfoot. You see, the Titans didn't think big enough. They planned to destroy the godsin their new home of America. We giants know better! To kill a weed, you must pull up its roots. Even now, while my forces destroy your little Roman camp, my brother Porphyrionis preparing for the real battle in the ancient lands! We will destroy the gods at their source." The ghosts pounded their swords against their shields, the sound echoed across the mountains, Emily wondered what the sound would be like in Alaska.

"The source? You mean Greece?" Alcyoneus chuckled when Frank had said that.

"No need to worry about that, son of Mars. You won't live long enough to see our ultimate victory. I will replace Pluto as lord of the Underworld. I already have Death in my custody. With Hazel Levesque in my service, I will have all the riches under the earth as well!" Hazel gripped her Spatha.

"I don't do service."

"Oh, but you gave me life! True, we hoped to awaken Gaea during World War II. That would've been glorious. But really, the world is in almost as bad shape now. Soon, your civilization will be wiped out. The Doors of Death will stand open. Those who serve us will never perish. Alive or dead, you three will join my army."

"Fat chance, Golden Boy. You're going down." Hazel spurred Arion towards the giant, Emily knew what she was going to do.

"Wait. I raised this monster from the earth. I'm the daughter of Pluto. It's my place to kill him." Alcyoneus planted his staff in the ice, his hair glittered with millions of dollars' worth of gems.

"Ah, little Hazel. Are you sure you will not join us of your own free will? You could be quite ... precious to us. Why die again?" Emily could see the flash of anger in Hazel's eyes when he said that, this Hazel looked down at Frank and pulled the wrapped up piece of firewood from her coat.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She pursed her lips.

"You're my best friend, too, Frank. I should have told you that." Hazel tossed him the stick. "Do what you have to. And Percy, Bucky, Emily,…can you protect him?" Percy, Emily and Bucky looked at the ranks of ghosts,

"Against a small army? Sure, no problem."

"Then I've got Golden Boy." Before Hazel could move that Emily looked at Bucky of who let her go, Emily walked over to Hazel and got up on Arion. Hazel looked at Emily with confusion till Emily spoke.

"Even though my powers from our father don't work here due to the fact I wasn't born with it since I was adopted, I am still a daughter of Hades. I have No plans of you fighting the bane of our father alone." Hazel smiled when Emily said that, Emily could see the surprise look on Alcyoneus's face before they charged at the giant.

Emily was glad of the face she still retained her powers since birth, as she fought along side Hazel that she slashed at Alcyoneus but it didn't do manage good and a few times she used the stem of her poppy to throw Alcyoneus off. As Emily and Hazel fought that she saw Percy making another hurricane, Emily added rain and hail to his hurricane as he fought. Emily had notice Bucky was still standing by Frank defended Frank against nay of the ghosts that decided to go after Bucky or Frank instead. She noticed that Frank had managed to get one chain off of Thanatos, of which was good but she wasn't sure what will happen to Frank and Hazel after this. She looked back at Percy as he knocked down the standard bearer and grabbed the eagle. Emily smiled when she saw Percy do that, it figures that the eagle was somewhere around Alaska of where it was was unknown to her till now.

"You want it back? Come and get it!" Emily had focus on her fight with Alcyoneus. From he sounds of it, it sounded like Percy was destroying half of the camp as well as Bucky. But Hazel, Emily and Alcyoneus were destroying the rest of it. Arion kept playing a game of tag with the giant, it was pretty much the speed of Arion that kept them alive. Since Alcyoneus kept swiping at them with his staff and he was knocking over walls of which cleaved massive chasms in the ice. As she fought with Alcyoneus that she heard Frank yell.

"Percy! Bucky! They can die now!" Emily had turned and looked at Percy and Bucky, they were near the edge of the glacier, the entire ghost army had them surrounded. What surprised Emily was Frank, he drew his bow but dropped it at once of which Emily found strange for a moment before she realize what he was planning on doing. Emily wondered if he finally understood what his family gifts were, but this the staff had managed to hit Hazel and Emily. Emily had was throw off of Arion first And landed away from Hazel and Arion, she had landed in the barracks while Arion and Hazel crashed into he ramparts.

"Hazel!"

"Emily!" Emily hook hermes,do she felt pain in her arm, there was some blood on her arm. Emily managed to sit up, as she sat up that she noticed Bucky was looking at her worried but he looked relieved to see her moving. But it was Hazel Emily was more worried about, even from where she was that she could see Hazel half buried in a collapsed pile of snow bricks. Arion stood over trying to protect Hazel.

"Go help her! I've got these guys!" Emily looked at Percy and Bucky worried, even with her added help that the storm was weakening. The wind was not nearly as strong as it had be before. She hoped that they would managed to fight their way though. She heard Alcyoneus laugh, Emily looked over at the two of the,

"Hello, little pony. You want to play?" Alcyoneus raised his icy staff and that was the best thing could happen. An eagle flew overhead with talons extended, the razor sharp claws raked across the giant's eyes. Alcyoneus staggered backwards when the eagle he attacked looked to where Frank had been and smiled before looking back to where Hazel was. As the eagle landed in front of Hazel that Hazel had lifted her head, this the eagle had turned back into Frank. A cap of snow dripped off of Hazel's head,

"Frank… What just…how did—?"

"Fool! I am immortal in my homeland, Frank Zhang! And thanks to your friend Hazel, my new homeland is Alaska. You cannot kill me here!" Emily looked at Alcyoneus when he shouted, his face was slashed, black oil dripping into. His eyes instead of blood. But the wounds were already closing, of which Emily expected to happen.

"We'll see, Hazel, get back on your horse." Emily had got up and ran over to Arion as Hazel climbed on top of him. As Emily climbed on Arion that Frank turned into a bear and made Alcyoneus toppled onto an icy watchtower that collapsed on top of the giant. Frank sprang at the giant's head, the metal features begins to dent, but Emily knew that won't last long. When Frank urged back that he trapped the rope and made a noose and fastened it around the giant's foot before tossing it to Hazel of who caught it.

"Hazel, here! I've got an idea, but we'll have to—"

"Kill—uh—you—uh…" Frank ran to the head of the giant before slammed a legion shield into his nose. "Urgg." Frank looked back at Hazel and Emily.

"How far can Arion pull this guy?"

"You—you were a bird. Then a bear. And—"

"I'll explain later, We need to drag this guy inland, as fast and far as we can."

"But Percy! Bucky!" Frank curse, Emily looked to where Percy and Bucky were at the edge of the cliff, seeing Bucky at the edge of the cliff that Emily started to panic. She hadn't been there when Bucky feel but the memories of what happen on at train came back. The part of when she reached the car that Steve was in was the strongest and she could remember seeing he pained look he gave Emily. Emily knew what that meant that time, though there was a difference between now and than, that Bucky could use e winds but she wasn't sure of how helpful that would be.

"Percy!"

"Bucky!" Percy and Bucky glanced over, Percy looked that Bucky and said something. When Percy said that to Bucky that Emily felt the winds picked up and Bucky flew over the shades and landed near Emily and Hazel. As Bucky landed that Percy looked back at them and yelled something, Emily was sure that it was go. Bucky had climbed behind Emily and held onto her, than Percy slammed riptide into the ice at his feet. The entire glacier shuddered, ghosts fell to their knees, behind Percy a wave surged up from the bay. A wall of gray water, even taller than the glacier itself, stood behind Percy, the water shot from the chasms and crevice in the ice. As the wave hit that the back half of the camp crumbled, the entire edge of the glacier peeled away cascading into the void. Carrying buildings, ghosts, and Percy over the edge, Emily was shocked as she watched what happen. Emily had to learn back just to make sure that Bucky was behind her and with his arms wrapped tightly around her that she knows he was still there.

Even though the old memory kept replaying in her head, it was hard to think that she almost lost Bucky agin if a Percy had told Bucky to leave. Emily only went back into reality when Hazel kept calling Frank's name, Frank slammed his shield into the giant's nose till the Alcyoneus began to snore. The glacier kept crumbling for the edge was getting closer and closer to them. Thanatos glided towards them on his black wings, his expression was serene of which was not a big surprise or at least to Emily.

"Ah, yes. There go some souls. Drowning, drowning. You'd best hurry, my friends, or you'll drown, too."

"But Percy… Is he—?"

"Too soon to tell. As for this one…You'll never kill him here. You know what to do?"

"I think so."

"Then our business is complete." When Thanatos said that, that Emily sighed with relief, of which means Hades had gave Hazel and Frank a free pass. But neither freak or Hazel understood that fact at the moment,

"Um… You mean you won't…you're not going to—"

"Claim your life? Well, let's see…" he pulled a pure black iPad from thin air, he tapped the screen a few times. "I don't see you on the list. Pluto gives me specific orders for escaped souls, you see. For some reason, he has not issued a warrant for yours. Perhaps he feels your life is not finished, or it could be an oversight. If you'd like me to call and ask—"

"No! That's okay."

"Are you sure? I have video conferencing enabled. I have his Skype address here somewhere..."

"Really, no. Thank you."

"Urgg." Frank hit the giant over the head again. Than Thanatos looked at Frank.

"As for you, Frank Zhang, it isn't your time, either. You've got a little fuel left to burn. But don't think I'm doing either of you a favor. We will meet again under less pleasant circumstances." The cliff was still crumbling, the edge was twenty feet away now, Arion whined impatiently.

"What about the Doors of Death? Where are they? How do we close them?"

"Ah, yes. The Doors of Me. Closing them would be good, but I fear it is beyond my power. How you would do it, I haven't the faintest idea. I can't tell you exactly where they are. The location isn't…well, it's not entirely a physical place. They must be located through questing. I can tell you to start your search in Rome. The original Rome. You will need a special guide. Only one sort of demigod can read the signs that will ultimately lead you to the Doors of Me. But in this case, you have two demigod guides." Cracks appeared under their feet in the ice,

"What about my brother? Is Nico alive?"

"What about Arabella?" Thanatos looked at Hazel and Emily with pity or as close as to pity as he could get to considering what he was the god of.

"You will find the answer in Rome. And now I must fly south to your Camp Jupiter. I have a feeling there will be many souls to reap, very soon. Farewell, demigods, until we meet again." Thanatos dissipated into black smoke, the cracks widened in the ice under Frank. Emily,was worried about Arabella but she didn't have the time to worry properly.

"Hurry! We've got to take Alcyoneus about ten miles due north!" Frank climbed onto the giant's chest and Arion took off racing across the ice dragging Alcyoneus behind him. It was a short trip, Arion rode the glacier like a highway, Emily wondered what he would be like on the highway itself. Arion zoomed between two mountains into a valet of ice and rocks like a massive bowl of frozen milk with some cocoa puffs. As hey entered the bowl area that she felt a vibration I her body and she could feel her Hestia and Hades powers once more. She could feel the child in her once more, opit was a wonderful feeling to feel, once more. Emily looked back to see Alcyoneus' golden skin paled into a brass color, of which made Emily smile for he was no longer immortal,

"Here!" Arion veered to one side and Hazel cut the rope, Alcyoneus went skidding past. Frank had leaped off just before the giant slammed into a boulder, than Alcyoneus had jumped to his feet.

"What? Where? Who?" His nose was bent in an odd direction, his wounds were healed. But his golden skin lost some of it's luster, he looked around for his staff of which was back at the glacier. He gave up, he pounded the nearer boulder to pieces with his fist.

"You dare take me for a sleigh ride? That smell…like snuffed-out souls. Thanatos is free, eh? Bah! It doesn't matter. Gaea still controls the Doors of Death. Now, why have you brought me here, son of Mars?"

"To kill you. Next question?"

"I've never known a child of Mars who can change his form, but that doesn't mean you can defeat me. Do you think your stupid soldier of a father gave you the strength to face me in one-on-one combat?" Emily and Bucky had got off Arion, Emily, Bucky and Hazel drew their swords.

"How about four on one?" Bucky had Emily darted out of the way as he charged at the three if her. Arion also darted out of the way. Emily had managed slashed her sword across his feet while Bucky and Hazel slashed the backs of his calves. Black oil spouted from the wounds Alcyoneus had stumbled.

"You can't kill me, Thanatos or no!" Hazel made a grabbing gestured with her free hand, an invisible force Yankee the giant's hair backward. Hazel and Bucky managed to slash at the front while Emily,slashed at his other foot.

"Stop that! This is Alaska. I am immortal in my homeland!" As Emily and Bucky moved out of the way that Emily looked at Bucky and they both smiled.

"Actually, I have some bad news about that. See, I got more from my dad than strength."

"What are you talking about, war brat?"

"Tactics. That's my gift from Mars. A battle can be won before it's ever fought by choosing the right ground. We crossed the border a few hundred yards back. You're not in Alaska anymore. Can't you feel it, Al? You want to get to Alaska, you have to go through me." It seemed to dawn up Alcyoneus of what freak was saying and he looked down at his wounded legs, oil still pouring from his calves turning the ice black.

"Impossible! I'll—I'll—Gah!" Alcyoneus charge at Frank, determined to get back into his homeland. Emily watched, hoping and waiting for Frank to use his family gifts.

"Frank?"

"I got this." Just before Alcyoneus smashed into Frank that Frank started to change, Emily smiled as Frank changed into an elephant. So that when Alcyoneus slammed into Frank that he slammed into a full grown ten ton elephant. The giant staggered sideways and he screamed in frustration, he slammed into Frank again but it was clear that an elephant outweighed Alcyoneus. Frank head butted Alcyoneus so hard that he flew backwards.

"You—can't—kill me," Alcyoneus growled. "You can't—" Frank returned to his normal form and walked up to the giant, Emily and Bucky slaked up to the giant as well. The oily wounds were steaming, the gems fell out of his hair and sizzled in the snow, his golden skin began to corrode breaking into chunks. Hazel dismounted and stood next to Frank. Her sword was ready.

"May I?" Frank nodded and looked at Giant's seething eyes.

"Here's a tip, Alcyoneus. Next time you choose the biggest state for your home, don't set up base in the part that's only ten miles wide. Welcome to Canada, idiot." Hazel's sword came down on the giant's neck, Alcyoneus dissolved into a pile of vey expensive rocks, for a while they stood there watching the remains of the giant melt into the ice, Frank picked up his rope.

"An elephant?"

"Yeah. It seemed like a good idea." Emily looked at Bucky of who shrugged, Emily looked back at Hazel and Frank. Emily couldn't read her expression at the moment, but Emily could tell that Frank was with her worried or afraid that he thought that Hazel thinks he was weird after using his family gift. Than Hazel did something that Emily, as well as Frank, didn't expect, she kissed Frank on his lips. Emily looked over at Bucky and mouthed: Does this remind of you anything? Bucky looked like he was going to turn pink when Emily mouthed that thins he mouthed back: oh shut up. Emily smiled when Bucky mouthed that it was than that Hazel pulled away.

"You are amazing. And you make a very handsome elephant." It was Bucky that spoke.

"I never heard that from you." Emily looked back at Bucky.

"You never heard because you can't change into an elephant, that's why." Bucky was about ready to respond but before he could say anything that a voice echoed across the valley.

'You haven't won.' They looked up, shadows were shifting across the nearest mountain forming the face of a sleeping woman. 'You will never reach home in time, taunted the voice of Gaea. Even now, Thanatos is attending the death of Camp Jupiter, the final destruction of your Roman friends.' The mountain rumbled as if the while was laughing than the shadows disappeared. All four of them looked at each other, nor of them said anything the climbed onto Arion and they went back to Glacier bay. When they got here that Percy was waiting for them, he didn't look happy. He stood at the edge of the glacier leaning on the staff with the golden eagle, looking down at the wreckage he had caused. Several hundred acres of newly open water dotted with icebergs and flotsam from the ruined camp. The only thing left on the glacier was the mani gates that were sideways and a tattered blue banner laying over a pile of snow bricks. When they rashes Percy that he only said one word,

"Hey."

"You're alive!"

"The fall? That was nothing. I fell twice that far from the St. Louis Arch."

"You did what?"

"Never mind. The important thing was I didn't drown."

"So the prophecy was incomplete! It probably said something like: The son of Neptune will drown a whole bunch of ghosts." Percy shrugged and he was still looking at Frank.

"I got a bone to pick with you, Zhang. You can turn into an eagle? And a bear?"

"And an elephant." Percy shook his head in disbelief.

"An elephant. That's your family gift? You can change shape?"

"Um…yeah. Periclymenus, my ancestor, the Argonaut—he could do that. He passed down the ability."

"And he got that gift from Poseidon. That's completely unfair. I can't turn into animals." Emily snorted as Frank stared at Percy, Emily wouldn't call that unfair. If Percy side to Emily it was unfair she had the powers from Hades and Demeter and he didn't than that would be unfair.

"Unfair? You can breathe underwater and blow up glaciers and summon freaking hurricanes—and it's unfair that I can be an elephant?"

"Okay. I guess you got a point. But next time I say you're totally beast—"

"Just shut up. Please." Percy cracked a smile

"If you guys are done, we need to go. Camp Jupiter is under attack. They could use that gold eagle."

"One thing first, though. Hazel, there's about a ton of Imperial gold weapons and armor at the bottom of the bay now, plus a really nice chariot. I'm betting that stuff could come in handy.…" It took them too long to get the weapons, Percy swam up and down along with Bucky whirl Emily and Hazel used their abilities to bring things up while Frank turned into a seal. It took all of them to raise the chariot, but they managed to get everything ashore to a black sand beach near the base of the glacier. They couldn't fit everything, but Emily managed to send some of it to her cabin while Frank step down most of the gold weapons and the armor.

"It looks like Santa's sleigh, Can Arion even pull that much?" Arion huffed.

"Hazel, I am seriously going to wash your horse's mouth with soap. He says, yes, he can pull it, but he needs food." Hazel picked up a pugio, it was bent and dull, so it wouldn't much good in a fight but it looked lie it was solid imperial gold,

"Here you go, Arion. High-performance fuel." Arion took the dagger and ate it like it would an apple.

"I'm not doubting Arion's strength, but will the chariot hold up? The last one—"

"This one has Imperial gold wheels and axle, It should hold."

"If not, this is going to be a short trip. But we're out of time. Come on!" Frank, Percy and Bucky climbed into the chariot, while Emily and Hazel swung onto Arion's back.

"Giddyup!" Arion's sonic boom echoed across the bay and they sped south towards Camp Jupiter.


	15. Chapter 15

Emily couldn't believe of how long it took them to go from Glacier bay to Camp Jupiter, it took four hours. Emily had kept looking back at Bucky, Percy, and Frank, they were uncomfortable from the looks of it but she couldn't blame. As they went down the coastline that it started to look familiar to her, they raced past the Mendocino lighthouse. Than they raced past Mount Tam and the Marin headlands loomed out of the fog and Arion shot straight under the Golden Gate Bridge. Arion tore through Berkeley before he tore into the Oakland hills, when they reached the hilltop above the Caldecott tunnel that Arion stopped. He shuddered like a broken car, his chest was heaving, Emily wasn't surprised considering of how far he went and how fast he went. Hazel patted Arion.

"You did great, Arion." Apparently Arion was too tired to cuss.

'Of course I did great. What did you expect?' Emily jumped off of Arion as Bucky, Percy and Frank jumped off of the chariot. From how they were able to walk that it was clear that they had a rough ride on the way down. For their legs were wobbly and it seemed that their joints might be stiff as well, for they could barely walk. Emily walked over to Bucky and helped him steady himself, Bucky gave a look that clearly said unfair. For unlike Bucky, Emily didn't have stiff joints or wobbly legs. Frank was hobbling to the top of the hill and peered down

"Guys…you need to see this." Percy, Hazel, Emily and Bucky joined Frank, Emily managed to choke down a scream. The twelfth legion was arranged on the field of Mars trying to protect the city, Scorpions fired into the ranks of the earthborns. Hannibal was plowing down monsters right and left but the defenders were badly outnumbered. Reyna was on her Pegasus, Scipio and she was flying around the giant Polybotes, trying to keep him occupied. The lares were fighting against a mob of black vaporous shades, of which made sense since the lares were the best ones to fight the shades. Veteran demigods, from the city, joined the battle and were going against an onslaught of wild Centaurs. Giant eagles were circling the battlefield doing aerial combat with two snake haired ladies in green bargain mart vests, Emily assumed it was asthenosphere and Euryale. The legion was taking the worst of the attack. Their formation was breaking, each cohort was an island in a sea of enemies.

An enemy siege tower shot glowing green cannonballs into the city blasting craters in the forum. Emily reached out with her protection, as she did so a bubble formed around New a Rome, though it seems she was the only one who could see this though. Since the twelfth legion didn't seem to notice, though they were busy fighting, neither did Bucky, Percy, Hazel or Frank. Just before the bubble clues finish that one last cannonball entered New Rome, the cannonball hit the senate house and the dome partially collapsed. The next cannonball that hut the bubble had bounced back and hit some of the monsters, that seem to surprise everyone but Emily. However the main problem was still the fighting that was happening, they overlooked the protection of Nee Rome for the time being.

"We're too late," Hazel said.

"No. They're still fighting. We can do this."

"Where's Lupa? She and the wolves…they should be here." Emily bite her lip when Frank said that, it was clear that he spend little time with Lupa if he asked that question.

"She did what she could. She slowed down the army on its way south. Now it's up to us. We've got to get the gold eagle and these weapons to the legion."

"But Arion is out of steam! We can't haul this stuff ourselves."

"Maybe we don't have to." Percy scanned the hilltops, Emily knew he was looking for Tyson. Than Percy whistled as loud as he could, shadows rippled in the trees as a huge black shape bounded out of nowhere. A mastiff that was the size of an SUV with a cyclops and a harpy on his back ran over to Percy. Emily snorted as Frank scrambled backward.

"Hellhound!"

"It's okay! These are friends."

"Brother!" Tyson climbed off of Thron and ran towards Percy, Tyson slammed into Percy like a best woudk run into a mountain. After a few moments that Tyson had let go of Percy and looked Percy over with his one eye, "You are not dead! I like it when you are not dead!" Ella fluttered to the ground and began to preening her feathers.

"Ella found a dog, a large dog. And a Cyclops." Emily was close of. Laughing, for it seem that Ella was blushing. Before Percy could say or do much of anything at Thron pounced on him and barked so loudly that even Arion backed up.

"Hey, Thron. Yeah, I love you too, boy. Good dog." Hazel made a squeaking sound when Percy said that.

"You have a hellhound named Thron?"

"Not unusual for Greek demigods apparently, I also have a hellhound." Hazel looked over at her and gave her a look that said, well you are my half sister. Emily just shrugged when Hazel looked at her like that. Percy managed to get to his feet and wipe off the dog slobber.

"Long story. You can ask your brother…" Percy stopped when he saw the look on Hazel's face. "Sorry, But yeah, this is my dog, Thron. Tyson—these are my friends, Frank and Hazel." Than Percy looked at Emily. "How come you never said anything about knowing me? What about Arabella or Nico?" Emily could tell that he wanted to wring their necks, but it was clear he knew better to do that to Emily since it wouldn't be easy for him to do that.

"None of us could say anything cause the time was not right to do so. But that is not important right now." Percy nodded and turned to Ella.

"Are you okay? We were worried about you."

"Ella is not strong. Cyclopes are strong. Tyson found Ella. Tyson took care of Ella." Emily was close of giggling as Ella blushed.

"Tyson, you big charmer, you." Tyson turned the same color as Ella's plumage,

"Um…No." He leaned down and whispered nervously, but it was loud enough for all the others to hear: "She is pretty."

"Anyway, there's this battle happening."

"Right, Tyson, where's Annabeth? Is any other help coming?"

"The big ship is not ready. Leo says tomorrow, maybe two days. Then they will come."

"We don't have two minutes, Okay, here's the plan." Percy had pointed out which were the good guys and bad guys to Tyson. Tyson was alarmed that there were bad Cyclops and bad centaurs in the army.

"I have to hit pony-men?"

"Just scare them away."

"Um, Percy? I just…don't want our friend here getting hurt. Is Tyson a fighter?"

"Is he a fighter? Frank, you're looking at General Tyson of the Cyclops army. And by the way, Tyson, Frank is a descendant of Poseidon."

"Brother!" Tyson crushed Frank in a hug, Emily was so close of laughing so was Percy and Bucky.

"Actually he's more like a great-great-…Oh, never mind. Yeah, he's your brother." Frank mumbled through a mouthful of flannel.

"Thanks, But if the legion mistakes Tyson for an enemy—"

"I've got it!" Hazel ran over to the chariot and dug out the biggest Roman helmet she could find, plus an old Roman banner embroidered with SPQR. Than Hazel handed the items to Tyson.

"Put those on, big guy. Then our friends will know you're on our team."

"Yay! I'm on your team!" Emily had to cover her mouth from trying not to laugh at Tyson, for the helmet was ridiculously small and he out he cape on backwards.

"It'll do, Ella, just stay here. Stay safe."

"Safe,mElla likes being safe. Safety in numbers. Safety deposit boxes. Ella will go with Tyson."

"What? Oh…fine. Whatever. Just don't get hurt. And Thron—"

"ROOOF!"

"How do you feel about pulling a chariot?" They tied the chariot to Thron and when they were finished that Emily looked up to the sky. It was than that Emily had noticed a black dot against the sky, Emily looked at it and gasp slightly. She knew at once of what it was and who it was, before Percy got on Thron that Emily whistled. It was the whistle she used for a Pegasus back at camp as oppose to Mrs. O'Leary. Percy had looked back at her in surprise, he was about ready to say something when the black dot had come closer. They all looked up as the black dot got close enough to see it was a black Pegasus. After a minute that Blackjack landed in front of Percy and nickered, Percy and rushed forward and hugged blackjack around the neck.

"Blackjack." Hazel and Frank looked surprised as Percy let to and climbed on Blackjack. "This is Blackjack, my Pegasus. Blackjack, this is Frank and Hazel." As Percy said that, that Bucky and Emily climbed onto Thron and Emily spoke.

"Come on, it is time for the strangest reinforcements in Roman military history." There was no doubt about that they were the strangest reinforcements in Roman military history. Hazel rode Arion in, who recovered enough to carry one person at normal horse speed, Emily could hers him cuss about his aching hooves all the way downhill. Frank transformed into a bald eagle and soared above them, while Tyson ran down the hill waving his club yelling. "Bad pony-men! BOO!" While Ella was fluttering around him, reciting facts from the Old Farmer's Almanac. Percy was flying next to Frank on Blackjack holding the eagle in one of his hands, that was raised above him, while he held Riptide in the other hand. Emily and Bucky were riding Thron down the hill with the chariot behind them. Bucky was sitting behind Emily. They skirted the perimeter of the camp and took the northernmost bridge over the little Tiber before charging onto the field of Mars at the western edge of the battle. A horde of Cyclopes was hammering away at the campers of the fifth cohort, they were trying to keep their shields locked just to stay alive. Emily heard Percy shout from above,

"Fifth Cohort!" As Percy said that, that Thron slammed into the nearest Cyclops, the last thing the monster was Thron's teeth. Blackjack landed next to the fifth cohort and Percy got off of Blackjack while Emily and Bucky got off of Thron. Percy, Emily, and Bucky slashed wildly through the other monsters, Tyson charge at the Cyclopes leader, Ma Gasket if Emily heard the Cyclopes yells correctly. She was gawking a Tyson when he charged and started to speak.

"Who—?" Tyson hit he so hard in the head that she spun in a circle and landed on her rump. Tyson bellowed at her.

"Bad Cyclops Lady! General Tyson says GO AWAY!" Tyson hit her again and she turned into dust, meanwhile Hazel was charging around on Arion slicing her sword thought one cyclops after another. While Frank was blinding the enemies with his talons, once every Cyclopes within fifty yard were reduced to ashes that Frank landed in front of the for cohort and transformed into a human and bellowed.

"Fifth Cohort! Get your Imperial gold weapons right here!" The campers recovered from their shock and mopped the chariot, Emily, Bucky, Percy handed out the equipment as quick as they could. Dakota was grinning like a madman as he swigged some red kill aid from his flask and urged the fifth cohort.

"Let's go, let's go! Our comrades need help!" As soon as the fifth cohort was equipped with new weapons, shields and helmets that they looked like they be been shopping at a king Midas clearance sale. Not only that but hey were suddenly the most powerful cohort in the legion like they used to be back before the 80s.

"Follow the eagle! To battle!" Emily had got up on Thron once more while Bucky remained with the fifth cohort, Percy got back on Blackjack as the campers cheered. As Percy and Emily lead the way on Thron and Blackjack that the fifth cohort followed them. All of the fifth cohort were screaming for blood as they slammed into a herd of wild centaurs that were attacking the third cohort. When the third cohort saw the eagle that Percy had that they shouted insanely and fought with renewed effort. The centaurs didn't stand a chance against the two cohorts for they crushed them, so that all was left was nothing but piles of dust, assorted hooves and horns.

"Form ranks!" The centurions shouted, the two cohorts comes together. Their military training kicking on and shields locked and the marched into battle against the Earthborn.

"Pila!" A hundred spears bristled and when Frank yelled fire that the spears sailed through the air. A wave of death cutting though the six armed monsters, the campers drew their swords and advanced to the center of the battle. At the base of the aqueduct, the first and second cohorts were trying to encircle Polybotes but they were not doing well. Some of the Karpoui grain spirits rushed fored and pulled campers away as well as the basilisks using their poison and fire on some of the campers. Reyna soared above the giant, diving in with her javelin whenever he turned his attention to the ground troops. It seem that she noticed the fifth cohort, she looked stunned as a result that the giant was close of swatted her out of the sky, if her Pegasus hadn't been as nimble as Arion she would have been swatted out of the sky. Reyna had looked at Percy of who was on Blackjack and her looked even more stunned than she was a moment ago. She gave Percy a smile when she saw him and the eagle in his hand than her voice boomed across the fields.

"Romans! Rally to the eagle!" Demigods and monsters turned and gawked as Emily bounded forward on Thron and Percy was flying just above her on Blackjack.m

"What is this? What is this?" Emily walked on top of Thron's head before she grasp her poppy and it changed into her celestial bronze sword making the Romans gasp when they saw the sword. And she snapped her fingers of which brought more gasps as her birth appearance changed into her daughter of Hades appearance. However it was Percy that spoke.

"Twelfth Legion Fulminata!" Thunder shook the valley, the eagle let loose a blinding flash. A thousand tendrils of lightning exploded from it's golden wings, arcing I front of Percy like branches of an enormous deadly trees. The lightning connected with the nearest monsters, the lightning leaped from one to another completely ignoring the roman forces. When the lightning stopped that the first and second cohorts were facing once surprised looking giant and several hundred smoking piles of ash. The center line of the enemy was charred into oblivion. The cohorts started to shout the same word over again, "Rome! Rome! Rome!" The giant backed up away from Percy and Emily uncertainly, but it was clear that the battle wasn't over. For the fourth cohort was still surrounded by Cyclopes, even Hannibal was having a hard time wading through the monsters. Emily whistled but this time the whistle was the one she called for Mrs. O'Leary, shadows rippled and she bounded out and started attacked the Cyclopes that were surrounding the fourth cohort and she turned back to Polybotes as he spoke.

"You think this changes anything, Percy Jackson and Rachel Blackthrone? I cannot be destroyed! Come forward, son of Neptune and daughter of Pluto. I will break you!" Percy dismounted Blackjack as he landed, Emily had jumped off of a thorn and stood besides Percy as he handed Dakota the standard.

"You are the cohort's senior centurion. Take care of this." Dakota blinked before he dropped his Kool-Aid flask and took the eagle.

"I will carry it with honor."

"Frank, Hazel, Tyson, help the Fourth Cohort. I've got a giant to kill." Emily nodded to Bucky and he understood, Emily knows that Mrs, ole we would be a big help but the fourth cohort would still need help. Bucky looked concern and he mouthed, Are you sure? Emily nodded when he mouthed that, he shook his head and went to help the fourth cohort. Emily knew he was worried for two reasons, one because he didn't want to lose her again like they lost each other seventy years ago. Two because she was carrying their child, Emily was doing her best not to pay any attention to her Hestia powers telling her she was with a child. Emily and Percy raised her sword and riptide, before they could advance that horns blew in the northern hills. Another army appeared on the ridge, hundreds of warriors in black and gray camouflage armed with spears and shields. Shattered among their ranks were a dozen battle forklifts, their sharpened times gleaming in he sunset and flaming bolts nocked in their crossbows. Emily felt a slight panic mainly because Emily had a feeling that they were in the giant's side.

"Amazons. Great." Polybotes laughed.

"You, see? Our reinforcements have arrived! Rome will fall today!" The amazons lowered their spears and charged down the hill, their forklifts barreled into battle and the it at's army cheered. That was until the amazons changed coursed and headed straight for the monsters' intact eastern flank. Emily sighed in relief, Emily noticed on the largest forklift stood a girl that was an older versions of Reyna. But the difference was that she was in black combat armor with a glittering gold belt around her waist.

"Amazons, forward!"

"Queen Hylla! She survived!"

"To my sister's aid! Destroy the monsters!"

"Destroy!" The amazons cry echoed through the valley. Reyna wheeled her Pegasus towards Percy, her eyes gleamed. Her expression said that she could hug Percy right now, Emily smiled lightly when she saw that. It was clear that Reyna had a small amount of crush on Percy but she had a bigger one on Jason. But Emily knows those feelings were not returned to her, Emily felt awful for her because of it.

"Romans! Advance!" The battlefield descended into absolute chaos, amazon and roman lines swung toward the enemies like they were the doors of death themselves. Percy looked at Emily and gave her. A look that said he would handle it before, looking and pointing at the Giant.

"You. Me. To the finish." Emily ran over and fought along side Bucky, he smiled when she joined him. They fought back to back much like how they fought I. World War II but this time it was with swords instead of guns. Hazel and Arion were galloping across the battlefields cutting down centaurs and Karpoi. Emily had cut down a few Karpoi was well, to was clear that they sensed she was a child of Demeter and tried to pull her away from the battle. But they should have known better than do that to a child of Demeter. For Emily had used their own bodies against them before killing them. Queen Hylla and Reyna joined forces, forklift and Pegasus together, they were scattering the dame shades of fallen warriors. Frank was an elephant and he was stomping through some Cyclopes, Dakota was holding the eagle high blasting anyone with lighting that dared challenger the fifth cohort.

Soon enough Percy she managed to get Polybotes close to New Rome, Emily and Bucky fought heir way over there, the bubble was breaking down and some more things had went though but it seems that terminus managed to stop some of them from hitting New Rome. As Frank changed into a weasel and went after the basilisks that they freaked out and slithered away from Frank. Frank chased after them and that was when it happened, that Polybotes pointed his trident and ran towards Percy. As the giant reached the line that Percy jumped to one side and the tints entered the city with hai trident in his hand. Emily smiled, she knew what was going to happen, this was one of the times that she was going like Terminus.

"THAT'S IT! That's AGAINST THE RULES!" Polybotes frowned p, but he was confused that he was being told off by a statue.

"What are you? Shut up!" He pushed he statue over and turned back to Percy, that was Polybotes' biggest mistake. Terminus shrieked,

"Now I'm MAD! I'm strangling you. Feel that? Those are my hands around your neck, you big bully. Get over here! I'm going to head-butt you so hard—"

"Enough!" The giant stepped on the statue and broke terminus in three pieces, pedestal, body and head.

"You DIDN'T! Percy Jackson, you've got yourself a deal! Let's kill this upstart." The giant laughed so hard that he hadn't realized Percy was charging till it was too late. Percy jumped up and drove riptide straight through one of the metal mouths on Polybotes' breastplate. The giant stumbled backward tripping over Terminus's pedestal and crashing to the ground. While the giant clawed at the sword and tried to get up that Percy hefted the head of the statue.

The giant laughed so hard that he didn't realize Percy was charging until it was too late. Percy jumped up, vaulting off the giant's knee, and drove Riptide straight through one of the metal mouths on Polybotes's breastplate, sinking the Celestial bronze hilt-deep in his chest. The giant stumbled backward, tripping over Terminus's pedestal and crashing to the ground.

"You'll never win!mYou cannot defeat me alone." Percy raised the stone head above the giant's face.

"I'm not alone. I'd like you to meet my friend Terminus. He's a god!" The awareness and fear dawned on the go at's face too late, Percy smashed the god's head as hard as he could into Polybotes's nose. The giant dissolved crumpling into a steaming heap of seaweed, reptile skin and poisonous muck. Percy staggered away, he looked exhausted.

"Ha! That will teach him to obey the rules of Rome." The battlefield was silent expect for a few fires burning, a few retreating monsters screaming in panic. A ragged circle of Romans and amazons stood around Percy, Emily, Tyson, Ella, Bucky were there among other. Than the Romans began to chant.

"Percy! Percy!" The Romans mobbed Percy, before Percy knew what was happening that they were raising him on a shield and the cry changed to "Praetor! Praetor!" Emily saw Reyna hold her hand and grasped Percy's in congratulation. The Romans carried him around the line avoiding the borders. Emily grasp Bucky's hand and they walked behind the Romans and amazons as they chanted and escorted Percy back to Camp Jupiter.

Campers, amazons and lares crowed the mess hall for a lavish dinner, Emily remained in her daughter of Hades appearance. What surprised Emily was that the fauns were incited to the dinner, that was mostly because of the fact hat they helped out with the wounded. Wind nymphs zipped around the room, delivering orders of pizza, burgers, steaks and salads, Chinese food and so much more. Despite the exhausting battle, everyone was in good spirits and casualties and been light. The few campers that were died had come back to life like Gwen, Emily was sure that Hades and Thanatos had gave them a free pass. The amazon and roman banners hunt side by side from the rafters, the restored golden eagle stood proudly behind the praetor' stable, the walls were decorated with cornucopia a that kept spilling out recycling waterfalls of fruit, chocolates and cookies. The cohorts mingled freely with the amazons, jumping from couch o couch as they pleased.

Emily and Bucky changed seats so many times that Emily would have last track of her food if she didn't have any power of the home or had the natural ability to cook. There was a lot of flirting and arm wrestling, though it seemed to be the same thing for the amazons. There had been a couple of times when Bucky was cornered by an amazon because of his looks or the fact they saw him fighting. Luckily for Bucky that Emily had claimed hi before it went to far by telling the amazons that he was married to her. The amazons took it well though and comment if hey went their different ways that they thought he would look great in an iron collar and an orange jumpsuit. The second time it happened that Emily picked another couch and they sat down that Bucky spoke.

"What does that mean, that they think I would look good in an iron collar and an orange jumpsuit." Emily waved her hand and two sandwiches appeared and Bucky grabbed one and started to eat the sandwich. Emily took a bite and shallowed before she spoke.

"That is their way of flirting with men as well as arm wrestling. In that respect they are more bearable than the hunters when it comes to men." When everyone eaten that the plates stopped flying and Reyna made a short speech, she formally welcome the amazons, she thanked them for their help in the battle before she hugged her older sister. Emily looked at the two of them, with her Hestia powers that she knew at had a rough spot in the last four years. Emily wasn't sure what happened but she coils tell that some of the rift between them drifted away during the battle. Everyone had applauded when Reyna and Hylla hugged, when they pulled away that Reyna raised her hands for quiet.

"My sister and I haven't always seen eye to eye—" Hylla laughed when Reyna said that.

"That's an understatement."

"She joined the Amazons, I joined Camp Jupiter. But looking around this room, I think we both made good choices. Strangely, our destinies were made possible by the hero you all just raised to praetor on the battlefield—Percy Jackson." More cheering followed this, Reyna and Hylla raised their glasses to Percy before beckoned him forward. Everyone was asking him for a speech, but it was clear that Percy didn't know what to say. He protested that he really wasn't the best person for praetor, she knew everyone decided against that, she was sure the Greeks would be the same way if Percy said something similar to them and he did something similar like having praetors. Reyna took his probatio neck plate away, Lee-Ann ripped open a teddy bear and pronounced good Owens for the coming year. That Fortuna would bless them, this she passed her hand over Percy's arm and shouted.

"Percy Jackson, son of Neptune, first year of service!" Emily watched as the roman symbol ps burned into Percy's arm, a trident, SPQR, and a single stripe. Emily knows what that felt like, that someone was pressing a hit iron into his skin. Emily was surprised that Percy didn't scream, Emily had did when she got hers but hers lasted longer due to the bar lines. Reyna gave him an eagle medal and a purple cloak, the symbols of praetor,

"You earned these, Percy." Hylla pounded him on the back.

"And I've decided not to kill you."

"Um, thanks." Percy made his way around the mess Halle one more time because the camels wanted him at their tables but Emily and Bucky told Percy to go to the next table since they could talk to him later. Vitellius followed Percy around and he kept stumbling over his shimmering purple toga as well as readjusting his sword telling everyone of he predicted Percy's rise to greatness. Emily rolled her eyes, Bucky was close of laughing as they watched Percy and Vitellius.

"I demanded he join the Fifth Cohort! Spotted his talent right away!" Of course many of the campers kept coming over to Emily and Bucky to talk them. Emily was sure if Bucky hadn't be used to getting attention from girls, before Emily and Bucky were reunited, that he might have bee embarrassed about this. Emily got use to this behavior form the Romans in the years past, Hazel and Frank were being treated well and were called the savior a of a Rome, there was even some talk about reinstating Frank's great grandfather, Shen Lun, to the Legion's roll of Honor. For apparently he hadn't caused the 1906 earthquake after all, Emily noticed that Percy was sitting close to Emily and Bucky. He was sitting at the next table over with Tyson and Ella, of who were the honored guests at Dakota's table. Tyson kept calling for Peanut butter sandwiches, he ate the sandwiches as fast as the nymphs could deliver. A few times Emily had used her Hestia powers to give him more peanut butter sandwiches and the nymphs looked happy whenever she did that. Ella was perched on his shoulder on top of the couch, nibbled furiously on cinnamon rolls.

"Cinnamon rolls are good for harpies, June twenty-fourth is a good day. Roy Disney's birthday, and Fortuna's Feast, and Independence Day for Zanzibar. And Tyson." Emily and Bucky chuckled when Ella glanced at Tyson before she blushed and looked away. After dinner the entire legion got the night off. So Emily and Bucky had went to anew Rome, at the Pomerian line, the statue of terminus wore a paper party hat, of which looked funny. Emily could see that the citizens were cleaning up form the damage that was done, before dinner Emily had managed to use her protection oover new Rome and got rid of the big pieces that would be hard to get rid of. Percy, Hazel and Frank were just in front of Emily and Bucky.

"Welcome, praetor! You need any giants' faces smashed while you're in town, just let me know."

"Thanks, Terminus, I'll keep that in mind."

"Yes, good. Your praetor's cape is an inch too low on the left. There—that's better. Where is my assistant? Julia!" Emily smiled as Julia ran out from behind the pedestal, she was wearing a green dress and her hair was still in pigtails. When she smiled that Emily noticed her front teeth were starting to come in and she he'd up a box full of party hats. Percy tried to decline but with the eyes of hers that Percy couldn't resist.

"Ah, sure, I'll take the blue crown." Julia offered Hazel a gold pirate hate.

"I'm gonna be Percy Jackson when I grow up." Emily smirked when Julia said that, it sounded like a girl her age would say. Hazel smiled and ruffled her hair.

"That's a good thing to be, Julia." Frank picked out a hat shaped like a polar bear's head.

"Although, Frank Zhang would be good too."

"Frank!" Emily had picked up a purple crown while Bucky picked up a blue helmet that look like it could come from World War II. They put on their hats, before walking to the forum, Percy, Hazel, and Frank went one way while Bucky and Emily went another way. As they walked around the forum for a minute that Bucky spoke.

"You know, I am not sure which is more celebrated, the Fourth of July at Camp Halfblood or a battle that was in victory here in New Rome."

"That is a question I had been asking myself for seventy years." Bucky smiled when Emily said that. There were street musicians that filled the air with different music, some of the roman couples started to dance to the music. The last time Emily had danced with Bucky was at the bar before the mission to capture Zola before Bucky fell off the train. Or at least it felt like that the last time they had danced, though she knows they had danced at their wedding and at Steve's wedding. Bucky took her hand and and lead to where the couple were dancing and they joined in. Emily thought for sure she would stumble but she was surprised that the dancing still came to her as easily as it did back in the war. During the celebration that the forum started to lit up with multicolored lanterns and the fountains glowed purple. Emily figured that Iris was in a party mood since she could see a dazzling rainbow appear in the night sky near the senate house. As it become late that Bucky and Emily left New Rome and went to her house in Camp Jupiter. As they walked back that Emily wondered what tomorrow would bring.

When they entered her house that, Emily and Bucky went to their room, Bucky feel asleep as soon as he laid down. Emily had laid down next to him and out her head over his chest listening to his heart, she can remember the first time they had meet when Emily and Steve were five and Bucky was seven. When they meet that Emily had called him brother and accepted him without much thought, so did Steve. That surprised their father of who had been growing ill and died a year later. Than she was adopted and taken away, when she ran away that her life had changed and honestly it had been for the better. If she hadn't ran away, she doubted she would have learned about Camp Halfblood, gaining a sister in but blood before going off to war and find Steve and Bucky once more. Than she had lost them before she found all three again, it just seem like that one simple choice changed her whole life. Even with all the suffering she went though, she felt like it was worth it. When Emily closed her eyes that she fell asleep.

The next morning, Emily and Bucky ate at her house using her own powers to eat what they wanted before going to New Rome. Thanks to the fact that she was the ambassador and protector that she could go wherever she wanted as well as anyone with her. Apparently, Emily and Bucky were not the only ones that got up early, for they spotted Percy, Hazel, and Frank and they were sitting by the fountains. So Bucky and Emily went over to them and sat down besides them watching the sun come up. As the sun come up that the citizens were busy sweeping up from the celebration last night, the engineer corps was working on a new arch. Hazel had brought up that she heard talk of a formal triumph for the five of them, a parade around the city, followed by a week of games and celebrations. But she knows that they never get that chance for they didn't have that kind of time. Percy than told them about his dream of Juno.

"The gods were busy last night. Show him, Frank." Frank reached into his coat pocket and produced a thin paperback book with a note on red stationery. Frank passed them to Percy.

"These were on my pillow this morning. Like the Tooth Fairy visited." Emily could see the book and the letter. The book was the art of war by Sun Tzu, it was obvious of who sent Frank the book. The letter said: Good job, kid. A real man's best weapon is his mind. This was your mom's favorite book. Give it a read. P.S.—I hope your friend Percy has learned some respect for me. Percy handed the book back to Frank

"Wow. Maybe Mars is different than Ares. I don't think Ares can read." Frank flipped through the pages.

"There's a lot in hereabout sacrifice, knowing the cost of war. Back in Vancouver, Mars told me I'd have to put my duty ahead of my life or the entire war would go sideways. I thought he meant freeing Thanatos, but now…I don't know. I'm still alive, so maybe the worst is yet to come."

"You risked your life. You were willing to burn up to save the quest. Mars can't expect more than that."

"Maybe." Hazel squeezed frank's hand, Emily had noticed that they seem more comfortable around each other that morning, they were not nearly as nervous and awkward as before. Emily figured that Frank and Hazel started dating or at least become boyfriend and girlfriend,

"Hazel, how about you? Any word from Pluto?" Hazel looked down, several diamonds popped out of the ground.

"No. In a way, I think he sent a message through Thanatos. My name wasn't on that list of escaped souls. It should have been."

"You think your dad is giving you a pass?" Hazel shrugged.

"Pluto can't visit me or even talk to me without acknowledging I'm alive. Then he'd have to enforce the laws of death and have Thanatos bring me back to the Underworld. I think my dad is turning a blind eye. I think—I think he wants me to find Nico and Arabella." Emily looked to the sunrise, she knows at least Annabeth, Jason, Piper and Leo were going to be on the Argo II but she wasn't sure of who else would be on that ship.

"We'll find your brother and sister, As soon as the ship gets here, we'll sail for Rome." Emily watched as Hazel and Frank shared uneasy looks, like they had talked about this.

"Percy… If you want us to come along, we're in. But are you sure? I mean…we know you've got tons of friends at the other camp. And you could pick anyone at Camp Jupiter now. If we're not part of the eight, we'd understand—"

"Are you kidding? You think I'd leave my team behind? After surviving Fleecy's wheat germ, running from cannibals, and hiding under blue giant butts in Alaska? Come on!" The tension broke, all five of them cracked up, after they stopped that Hazel spoke.

"The prophecy Ella gave us—about the child of wisdom, and the mark of Athena burning through Rome…do you know what that's about?"

"I'm not sure, I think there's more to the prophecy. Maybe Ella can remember the rest of it." Frank put his book back in his pocket.

"We need to take her with us—I mean, for her own safety. If James finds out Ella has the Sibylline Books memorized…"

"You're right, We've got to protect her. I just hope we can convince her—"

"Percy!" Emily looked over as Tyson came running across the forum, Ella was fluttering behind him with a scroll in her talons. When they reached the fountains that Ella dropped the scroll in Percy's lap.

"Special delivery, From an aura. A wind spirit. Yes, Ella got a special delivery."

"Good morning, brothers! The scroll is from Leo. He is funny and small." Emily looked at the scroll as Percy spread it across his lap, a video recording flickered on the parchment. It was Leo, he was wearing Greek armor and he was grinning up at them. He was sitting in a dark room with timber walls like a ship's cabin, oil lamps swung back and forth on the ceiling. Hazel stifled a scream, Emily looked at Hazel when she did at, Emily knew why she stifled that scream for Leo looked just like Sammy.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Hey! Greetings from your friends at Camp Half-Blood, et cetera. This is Leo. I'm the…" He looked off screen a0before he spoke. "What's my title? Am I like admiral, or captain, or—"

"Repair boy."

"Very funny, Piper." Emily smiled when she heard Piper say that, Leo and Piper were like brother and sister. "So yeah, I'm ... ah ... supreme commander of the Argo II. Yeah, I like that! Anyway, we're gonna be sailing toward you in about, I dunno, an hour in this big mother warship. We'd appreciate it if you'd not, like, blow us out of the sky or anything. So okay! If you could tell the Romans that. See you soon. Yours in demigodishness, and all that. Peace out." The parchment turned blank.

"It can't be."

"What? You know that guy?" Hazel looked like she had seen a ghost, Emily could understand why, Emily had a guess that Leo and Sammy were related but she was unsure of how they were related.

"It's Sammy Valdez. But how…how—"

"It can't be. That guy's name is Leo. And it's been seventy-something years. It has to be a…" Emily got up and knelt down in front of Hazel and spoke.

"Hazel trust me when I say this, but the guy in the parchment video is not Sammy."

"He has too be."

"No he isn't. I would know Hazel. I am a daughter of Hades and the champion of Hestia. I know what Gaea told you about Sammy and that he is died. It is true that Sammy is died, but I am not sure when or how he is died. But he is in the underworld. But I do believe that Leo and Sammy might be related to each other." Hazel looked like she was going to say something else but horns were blowing in the distance.

"It's meeting time, Come on. We've got to warn them about the warship."

"Why should we trust these Greeks?" James was pacing the senate floor for five minutes, going on and on and trying to counter what Percy told them about Juno's plan and the prophecy of the eight. The senate shifted restlessly, most were too afraid to interrupt James. The senate house was packed, Hylla, Frank, Hazel, Emily and bucket were sitting in he front row with the senators, veterans and ghosts filled the back rows, even Tyson and Ella were allowed in to sit in the back Percy and Reyna were sitting in the praetors' chairs.

"The camp is safe, I'll be the first to congratulate our heroes for bringing back the legion's eagle and so much Imperial gold! Truly we have been blessed with good fortune. But why do more? Why tempt fate?"

"I'm glad you asked."

"I wasn't—"

"—part of the quest. Yes, I know. And you're wise to let me explain, since I was." Emily snickered as James sit back down and try not to look embarrassed.

"Gaea is waking, We've defeated two of her giants, but that's only the beginning. The real war will take place in the old land of the gods. The quest will take us to Rome, and eventually to Greece." An easy role spread through the senate.

"I know, I know. You've always thought of the Greeks as your enemies. And there's a good reason for that. I think the gods have kept our two camps apart because whenever we meet, we fight. But that can change. It has to change if we're to defeat Gaea. That's what the Prophecy of Seven means. Seven demigods, Greek and Roman, will have to close the Doors of Death together."

"Ha! The last time a praetor tried to interpret the Prophecy of Seven, it was Michael Varus, who lost our eagle in Alaska! Why should we believe you now?" James was smiling now, some of hai allies were nodding and agreeing, even some of the veterans looked uncertain.

"I carried Juno across the Tiber, She told me that the Prophecy of Seven is coming to pass. Mars also appeared to you in person. Do you think two of your most important gods would appear at camp if the situation wasn't serious?"

"He's right. I, for one, trust Percy's word. Greek or not, he restored the honor of the legion. You saw him on the battlefield last night. Would anyone here say he is not a true hero of Rome?" No one argued, Reyna stood up.m

"You claim this is a combined quest. You claim Juno intends for us to work with this—this other group, Camp Half-Blood. Yet the Greeks have been our enemies for eons. They are known for their deceptions."

"Maybe so. But enemies can become friends. A week ago, would you have thought Romans and Amazons would be fighting side by side?" Hylla laughed.

"He's got a point."

"The demigods of Camp Half-Blood have already been working with Camp Jupiter. We just didn't realize it. During the Titan War last summer, while you were attacking Mount Othrys, we were defending Mount Olympus in Manhattan. I fought Kronos myself." Reyna backed up almost tripped over her toga.

"You… what?"

"I know it's hard to believe. But I think I've earned your trust. I'm on your side. Hazel and Frank—I'm sure they're meant to go with me on this quest. The other four are on their way from Camp Half-Blood right now. One of them is Jason Grace, your old praetor."

"Oh, come on! He's making things up, now."

"It is a lot to believe. Jason is coming back with a bunch of Greek demigods? You say they're going to appear in the sky in a heavily armed warship, but we shouldn't be worried."

"Yes. Just let them land. Hear them out. Jason will backup everything I'm telling you. I swear it on my life."

"On your life? We will remember that, if this turns out to be a trick." Suddenly James was throw out of his chair by shadows and against the wall, Emily stood up and walked over to him.

"You know, ever since Jason disappeared that the first cohort had been nothing but trouble. You and the whole cohort make me sick for trying to play with words and gins power. I had told you many months ago that anyone who use words to try get a higher spot or anyone who seeks power doesn't belong in a spot of power. For we entered a time of war with Gaea. You always tried to twist words around." Emily looked at the senate of who looked unease than she looked at James and she allows the shadows to drop him to the ground. He looked up at her.

"Greeks are known for their tricks. They destroyed out home before." When he said that, that a poppy grabbed his legs and arms and tied him to the wall, Emily walked forward some more steps before she stopped.

"If that were so, than explain of why Percy helped save it and why Bucky helped save it. Most of all, why is that you have a Greek as your protector of the roman state and the home." The senate gasp when she said that.

"You are Greek."

"I am indeed, my father and my patron told me about this and help he demigods find their way to the wolf house and protect camp Jupiter as much as I can. No matter what I am protecting form and I had done so for seventy years. I never once tricked anyone, I did everything. To protect this place." Emily turned to the senate and spoke. "I swear on the river Styx that not once have I ever tricked any roman s to only did my duty as a demigod to protect my kind no matter if the demigod was Greek or roman." Thunder rumbled, everyone stared at her for. A moment before they started muttering. His one of the senators had stood up and spoke.

"I make a motion for James to be stripped of his position, rank and the legion to be an outcast for trying to trick us." The senate agreed with this motion and a couple of guards took James away. When they took James away that a messenger rushed into the senate house.

"Praetors! I'm sorry to interrupt, but our scouts report—"

"Ship! Yay!" Emily,looked up and smiled as the Argo II appeared out of the clouds about a half mile away.

"Praetors! What are your orders?" Everyone looked to Reyna.

"Hold your fire. But have the legion stand ready. Percy Jackson is your duly chosen praetor. We will trus this word—unless we are given clear reason not to. Senators, let us adjourn to the forum and meet our…new friends." The senate stampeded out of the senate house. Tyson was running after them yelling yay with Ella fluttering around his head. Reyna stood at Percy's side as Emily we to Bucky's side. "I support you, Percy. I trust your judgment. But for all our sakes, I hope we can keep the peace between our campers and your Greek friends."

"We will, You'll see." Reyna looked up at the warship, her expression was wistful

"You say Jason is aboard…I hope that's true. I've missed him." She marched outside leaving Bucky, Emily, Percy, Hazel and Frank. As Emily looked at the ship that she sensed something, she realized what it was, Eidolons. Emily whispered in Ancient Greek and focus on the three Eidolons, she could hear the three of them screaming before She felt them going back down to the underworld.

"They're coming down right in the forum, Terminus is going to have a heart attack."

"Percy, you swore on your life. Romans take that seriously. If anything goes wrong, even by accident, they will kill you. You know that, right?" Emily looked at Hazel and spoke.

"Don't worry Hazel, that won't happen. When Romans enter this camp that they are placed under my protection, the only exceptions to this are the Greeks that entered this camp unless if they are legacies. There had been a couple of Greeks in this camp before, however the moment Percy got the tattoo that he become a roman in a way so he is under my protection. The Romans would have to go through me before they can kill him." Percy smiled, than he threw one arm around Hazel and the other around Frank.

"Come on, Let me introduce you to my other family." Bucky and Emily walked out howling each other's hands, Jennifer was near the back of the crowd. Emily and Bucky walked over to her bad watched as the Argo come closer to New Rome.


	16. Chapter 16

As Emily, Bucky and Jennifer stood there that Emily felt the protection around New Rome go in action, in other words, Terminus was going put to the Argo II. Emily thought of going up there, but decided to let Jason handle it, she hoped he would be able to do it. As they watched the Argo II that it landed by the forum but the ship didn't touch the ground, the ones on board climbed down on a rope. The first one down was Steve, than Lauren, than Phil, than Aubrey, than Annabeth, than Leo, than Piper and the last one was Jason. They were all wearing camp Halfblood shirts, even Jason and Aubrey, however Jason was wearing a praetor's cape. The families of New Rome were gathering around to see the new comers, most of them seem a bit worried. Emily made her way through the crowd along with Bucky and Jennifer, when Emily reached Reyna that the two of them walk through the crowd of which parted for them. Bucky and Jennifer remained of where they were when they reached Reyna.

Annabeth was staring at them as they walked towards them. Annabeth already know who Emily and Annabeth knows the role she plays at camp Jupiter. From Annabeth's stormy eyes that Emily could tell she figured out who Reyna was, Emily wouldn't be surprised if Jason told Annabeth of what Reyna looks like. But seeing Reyna and Annabeth facing each other now that Emily could see even more clearly of how much Reyna and Annabeth were like. Emily would admit that she wasn't sure what kind of reaction Annabeth would get from the Romans. Emily stood a little behind Reyna as Reyna and Annabeth studied each other, the others on the ship tanned out on either side of her. Lauren, Steve, Phil and Aubrey were looking at her. Emily mouthed don't worry, they seem to relax some, apparently Terminus didn't seem thrilled about the Greeks of which wasn't a big surprise. After a few moments that Percy had emerged from the crowd and stood next to Reyna, it was than that Reyna turned to Jason. When Reyna turned to Jason that she straightened and with apparent reluctance.

"Jason Grace, my former colleague... I welcome you home. And these, your friends - " the next thing wasn't planned, but Annabeth surged forward and Percy rushed towards her at the same time. Emily could feel the crowd tensed, it was clear that they thought a fight was coming but Emily knows that wasn't the case. Some were reaching for swords that were not there, as the Romans tried to reach for their swords, that were not there, that Emily send them a death glare. It was while Percy and Annabeth ran towards each other that Bucky and Jennifer made it through the crowd and stood besides Emily. Percy threw his arms around Annabeth and they kissed when they pulled away hat Percy started to say something.

"Gods, I never thought - " Annabeth than grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder, Percy slammed into the stone pavement. The Romans cried out and some surged forward. Reyna was about ready say something but shadows pulled the ones who went forward backwards. The Romans looked at Emily, Emily didn't needed to say anything for the Romans to know e look she was giving them. Of which more or less told them that if Percy was in danger that wouldn't have happened for she would have prevented it.

"If you ever leave me again, I swear to all the gods - " Percy laughed, it seem to ease Annabeth after months of worry, Emily shook her head. Emily knew of how hurt Annabeth had been. Emily comforted Annabeth as best as she could, of which was easier for Emily than anyone else. Lauren could relate as well as Steve and Bucky, Bucky was unsure of handle it as well as Steve. Lauren hardly knew Annabeth, so out of the four that feeling the best, it was Emily that helped Annabeth through. Annabeth was lucky through for she only had an six month separation form Percy while Emily had a sixty seven or sixty six year separation from Bucky. Emily had pointed it out to Annabeth of this fact that she didn't have to with as long as Emily did of which helped Annabeth to some degree.

"Consider me warned, I missed you, too." Annabeth stood up and helped Percy to his feet, Jason cleared his throat.

"So, yeah...It's good to be back." Jason introduce Reyna to Piper and Leo, but he didn't need to do that with Phil, Aubrey, Lauren to Steve. The only thing Jason had to do was inform the Romans that Phil was a son of Demeter not a legacy of Ceres. When Leo was introduce that he made the peace sign.

"And this is Annabeth, Uh, normally she doesn't judo-flip people."

"You sure you're not a Roman, Annabeth? Or an Amazon?"

"I only attack my boyfriend like that, Pleased to meet you."

"It seems we have a lot to discuss. Centurions!" Some of the Romans hustled forward, included Hazel and Frank. As the Centurions moved forward that Emily noticed that Hazel was frowning in Leo's direction. Not only that but she also noticed that Jennifer was looking at Leo as well, when Emily looked at Jennifer that she blushed slightly. Emily had looked at Leo of who had noticed Hazel before looking at Jennifer, it looked like he wanted to hide behind Piper. He took a couple steps back so that the was somewhat behind Piper, Emily was so close of laughing. She remembered at the wolf house and what happened there as well as hearing their stories after they got back to Cmap Halfblood. It seem Leo developed a crush on a girl of who was out of his league, even though Hazel has a boyfriend, she was was sure that Leo was thinking two girls liked him. Reyna was giving orders to the centurions."...tell the legion to stand down. Dakota, alert the spirits in the kitchen. Tell them to prepare a welcome feast. And, Lee-Ann - "

"Reyna." It was one of the members of the first cohort, one that was standing in place for the last centurion of the first cohort. "I know what you sods but is it wise to take them to camp." Emily looked at the centurion, Emily wanted to make sure that this was not a power hungry move. But it seems Emily made her point earlier, she could tell form his eyes that he wasn't sure this to gain power, he was saying is because of his worry for the camp itself.

"We're not taking them to the camp, Thomas. We'll eat here, in the forum." Thomas nodded.

"All right."

"These are our guests. We will welcome them, and we will talk to them. As augur, Lee-Ann should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely. You have my orders. Go." Emily slipped her hand into Bucky's as Steve, Lauren, Phil and Aubrey came over to them. Reyna turned to Jason, Emily saw the gleam in Reyna's eyes.

"Let's talk, and we can have a proper reunion." Sets of couches and low tables were brought into the forum so that it looked more like a furniture showroom. The Romans lounged in groups of ten or twenty, talking and laughing while the aurae swirled overhead bringing endless assortment of food and drinks. The lares were drifting through the crowd, the fauns were doing their usual, trying to get food or money. Thron, Mrs. O'Leary, and Hannibal were frolicked while children played tag around the statues of Terminus. Emily was sitting at the table with Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank, Jennifer, Phil, Aubrey, Lauren, Steve, and Bucky. Reyna, Lee-Ann and a couple of other officers sat with them. As the food was settling onto the table that Emily heard Percy whisper to Annabeth,

"I want to show you around New Rome. Just you and me. The place is incredible." Emily looked at Annabeth, concerned, Emily knows that this wasn't easy for her, depending on what Terminus said that it could have made it worse for her. For the Romans didn't respect Minvera, though there were a few others but they were not nearly badly as respected as Minvera. Children of Pluto and Neptune were among them, sort of, children of Pluto and Neptune were considered bad luck.

"Okay. Sure."

"I've been thinking, I had this idea - " Percy stopped as Reyna called a toast of friendship. The Romans and the crew of the Argo II exchange stories. When Jains reached the wolf house that someone form the first cohort spoke up.

"Impossible! That's our most sacred place. If the giants had imprisoned a goddess there - "

"They would've destroyed her. And blamed it on the Greeks, and started a war between the camps. Now, be quiet and let Jason finish." The one member opened his mouth but no sound came out, Emily snorted and did her best of trying not to laugh. Emily watched as Reyna looked between Jason and Piper, it was become clear to Reyna that Jason and pipe were a couple.

"So, that's how we found out about the earth goddess Gaea. She's still half asleep, but she's the one freeing the monsters from Tartarus and raising the giants. Porphyrion, the big leader dude we fought at the Wolf House: he said he was retreating to the ancient lands - Greece itself. He plans on awakening Gaea and destroying the gods by...what did he call it? Pulling up their roots."

"Gaea's been busy over here, too. We had our own encounter with Queen Dirt Face." Percy had than told them he story of when he woke up to Alaska and than back to Camp Jupiter, Emily watched Annabeth during that time, it looked like she was trying not to cry.

"No wonder they made you praetor."

"Which means we now have three praetors! The rules clearly state we can only have two!"

"On the bright side, both Jason and I outrank you. So we can both tell you to shut up." Emily smiled when the same member of the first cohort turned as a camp Jupiter shirt. Jaoan gave Percy a fist bump. Reyna managed a smile when Percy said at.

"We'll have to figure out the extra praetor problem later. Right now we have more serious issues to deal with."

"I'll step aside for 's no biggie."

"No biggie? The praetorship of Rome is no biggie?" Emily rolled her eyes when the same member of the first cohort spoke up. Percy paid no heed to the one member,

"You're Thalia Grace's brother, huh? Wow. You guys look nothing alike."

"Yeah, I noticed. Anyway, thanks for helping my camp while I was gone. You did an awesome job."

"Back at you." Emily noticed Annabeth kicked Percy, she was glad that Percy and Jason were getting along.

"We should talk about the Great Prophecy. It sounds like the Romans are aware of it too?"

"We call it the Prophecy of eight. Lee-Ann, you have it committed to memory? Recite it, please. In English, not Latin."

"Eight half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall - "

"An oath to keep with a final breath. And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death." Everyone stared at Annabeth, even Leo. Though Leo had been talking with Jennifer the whole time till than. Emily looked around the forum before she spoke.

"This feels like when Jason got o Camp Halfblood and finished the prophecy in Latin." Frank sat forward and stared at Annabeth in fascination, as if Annabeth grow a third eye.

"Is it true you're a child of Min - I mean, Athena?"

"Yes. Why is that such a surprise?" The same member of the first cohort spoke up.

"If you're truly a child of the wisdom goddess - "

"Enough, Annabeth is what she says. She's here in peace. Besides... Percy has spoken highly of you." Reyna gave Annabeth a look of grudging respect as she spoke. It was than that Emily realized that Reyna must have made a move on Percy, but he turned her turn for Annabeth. Emily felt worse for Reyna, the things she had went through for the last few months with having no one to help her lead expect for Emily. Though Emily wasn't exactly a leader in Camp Jupiter, shewas just the protector and nothing else.

"Uh, thanks. At any rate, some of the prophecy is becoming clear. Foes bearing arms to the Doors of Death...that means Romans and Greeks. We have to combine forces to find those doors." Emily notice that Hazel picked up a ruby before putting it in her pocket.

"My brother, Nico, went looking for the doors."

"Wait. Nico di Angelo? He's your brother?" Hazel nodded when Annabeth said that.

"Annabeth, do you really think Nico only had one sister, while three sisters since I made it plain that I was adopted by Hades before you learned that I was a daughter of Demeter and that he had another half sister Arsbella. Besides Arabella Bianca and myself, he has two other sisters, Jennifer and Hazel." Annabeth looked at Jennifer of who was the only one that looked like she could be Nico's sister unless if Emily,was in her daughter of Hades appearance.

"Okay. You were saying?"

"He disappeared. I'm afraid...I'm not sure, but I think something's happened to him."

"That is not all, Arabella went with him and she too disappeared."

"We'll look for them, We have to find the Doors of Death anyway. Thanatos told us we'd find both answers in Rome - like, the original Rome. That's on the way to Greece, right?"

"Thanatos told you this? The death god?"

"Now that Death is free, monsters will disintegrate and return to Tartarus again like they used to. But as long as the Doors of Death are open, they'll just keep coming back."

"Like water leaking through a dam."

"Yeah. We've got a dam hole."

"What?"

"Nothing, Inside joke. The point is we'll have to find the doors and close them before we can head to Greece. It's the only way we'll stand a chance of defeating the giants and making sure they stay defeated." Reyna plucked an apply from a passing fruit tray, she turned it in her fingers.

"You propose an expedition to Greece in your warship. You do realize that the ancient lands - and the Mare Nostrum - are dangerous?"

"Mary who?"

"Mare Nostrum, Our Sea. It's what the Ancient Romans called the Mediterranean."

"The territory that was once the Roman Empire is not only the birthplace of the gods. It's also the ancestral home of the monsters, Titans and giants...and worse things. As dangerous as travel is for demigods here in America, there it would be ten times worse."

"You said Alaska would be bad. We survived that." Reyna shook her head, her fingernails cut little crescents into the apple,

"Percy, traveling in the Mediterranean is a different level of danger altogether. It's been off limits to Roman demigods for centuries. No hero in his right mind would go there."

"It's true Percy, I haven't been to Greece. But I had been in Italy during the war before I even knew about he Romans. Thankfully the weapons, counting the guns, the howling commandos had some celestial bronze it. That was done because of Steve and myself. I took care most of the monsters but there some monsters that I couldn't handle by myself at were Greek, not HYDRA. I think Hitler had out most of the monsters somewhere during that way for most of the time he monster attacks were pretty much like the ones here in America. But after the war ended, I went to Italy one time and it seem like I couldn't go three miles without being attacked. That was just Italy, just think of what Greece would be like, however we must go to Greece, it is the only way to stop Gaea."

"Then we're good! Because we're all crazy, right? Besides, the Argo II is a top-of-the-line warship. She'll get us through."

"We'll have to hurry, I don't know exactly what the giants are planning, but Gaea is growing more conscious all the time. She's invading dreams, appearing in weird places, summoning more and more powerful monsters. We have to stop the giants before they can wake her up fully." Emily saw Annabeth shuddered when Jason said that. Emily figured that she had been having nightmares.

"Seven half-bloods must answer the call. It needs to be a mix from both our camps. Jason, Piper, Leo, and me. That's four."

"And me. Along with Hazel and Frank. That's seven. Who is suppose to the eight." Emily knew who the eight was, there was no doubt in her mind.

"Jennifer." Everyone looked at her, even Jennifer and all of them seem surprised by that. Emily just knew that the eight was Jennifer, for Emily had watched all eight in the last mons since she learned Frank was one. She knows Jennifer was one of the eight. The one member of he cohort that kept that trying to make everyone distrustful of the Greeks shot to his feet.

"What? We're just supposed to accept that? Without a vote in the senate? Without a proper debate? Without - " Emily held up her hand and he stopped, Emily stood up wand walked over towards him and she spoke.

"There are things that can't be voted by the senate, there are things that were made to be from the fates. This one of those things that can't be debated."

"But it's not right. It has be debated. Not only that but why Greeks? Give me a reason of why we should trust the Greeks?" Shadows slammed into him causing him to fly across the forum.

"Unless if you forget, I am Greek. I had told you this once already. Did you not see what happen last night and didn't you learn anything this morning?" Emily turned and looked at the legion. "I know the rivalry goes way back. But time changed and things change. So I will make sure you understand this. That the Greeks are not here to harm you, you know as long as I am standing here that New Rome is safe and protected. But know this, when the ship leaves with me on it as well as the eight and the five that you had meet in the last few months, that if he tries to rally the legion against the ship or the Greeks that is the moment I will drop the protection of the legion and camp Jupiter. The moment that happens that no help will come, no protection will come, and if you war against the Greek that New Rome will crumple. When that happens that Rome will never be build again and that your legacy will be lost. I will put the curse on if you go against the Greeks."

"Ambassador, that is not ... " Emily turned to the one member of the first cohort, the one that she tossed across the forum.

"Yes, it is needed. The Romans and the Greeks need to work together, there is no other way around it. Gaea wants the Romans and the Greeks to fight each other, so that she can destroy the demigods and their legacy. Unless if you forget that in many ways the Romans and the Greeks respected each other and both Greek and Rome have changed since than and grown." Emily looked at the Romans and spoke. "I told you all many times in the last months, that you shouldn't have someone like him in a position of power." Emily nodded the one member of the first cohort that kept counter her words or another's. "Romans are power hungry but this is not the time for power hungry people to be in change, we are at a time of war against the earth itself and you need warrior leader that take action and do what is best and needed for the legion not a leader that is full of words." Silence fell upon them, than the one member of the first cohort spoke up.

"How can you be ... "

"John." Thomas had world up from where he was sitting, John looked at Thomas. "You are shaming the first cohort by counter her words and your hungry for power. If you try to go in the path you are going that I will make sure you are kicked out of the cohort and if it is all right with arena to kick you out of this camp and that you will have no honor here in camp and be called traitor." John turned white when Thomas SIDS that and Emily spoke.

"You better decide wisely, more so when the Argo II leaves, for if you try to go a giants the Greek and fail that I will make sure your after life would be a good one and trust me if that happens, your punishment would be lighter than a traitor's punishment." John walked last her and sat down once more without saying anything, when Emily saw down next to Bucky that both Phil and Steve were looking at at clearly said, I am glad I am not at the end of your anger. Than there was a yell.

"Percy!"Tyson bounded towards them with Thron and Mrs. O'Leary at his heels, on the back of a thorn was Ella. Tyson stopped by their couch and hai one eye was full of concern. "Ella is scared."

"N-n-no more boats. Titanic, Lusitania, Pax...boats are not for harpies." Leo squinted and looked at Jennifer of who was sitting next to him.

"Did that chicken girl just compare my ship to the Titanic?" It was Hazel who spoke,

"She's not a chicken. Ella's a harpy. She's just a little...high-strung."

"Ella is pretty and scared. We need to take her away, but she will not go on the ship."

"No ships," Ella looked straight at Annabeth. "Bad luck. There she is. Wisdom's daughter walks alone - "

"Ella! Maybe it's not the best time - "

"The Mark of Athena burns through Rome. Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death. Giants' bane stands gold and pale, Won through pain from a woven jail." Emily bit her lip when Ella said that, Percy was the first at the Thales to recover and he took Tyson's arm.

"I know! How about you take Ella to get some fresh air? You and Mrs. O'Leary - "

"Hold on. What was that she said? It sounded like - " it was john who spoke but he stopped when Frank spoke.

"Ella reads a lot. We found her at a library."

"Yes! Probably just something she read in a book."

"Books, Ella likes books." Ella seems more relax after she said that prophecy, Emily knew it was a prophecy, she heard some many of them that it was hard not to know when one hears a prophecy.

"That was a prophecy. It sounded like a prophecy." Emily wished she could say or so something but nothing came to mind, Steve, Lauren, Bucky, Phil and Aubrey were lookin at her asking to do something. Emily shrugged showing them that she has no idea what to do but thankfully Annabeth spoke and forced a laugh.

"Really, Octavian? Maybe harpies are different here, on the Roman side. Ours have just enough intelligence to clean cabins and cook lunches. Do yours usually foretell the future? Do you consult them for your auguries?" Emily smiled when Annabeth said that, the roman officers laughed nervously, some sized Ella before looking at John and snorted. Emily,knows it as just as ridiculous to the Romans as it was to the Greeks that the idea of a harpy issuing prophecies.

"I, uh...mNo, but - "

"She's just spouting lines from some book, like Hazel suggested. Besides, we already have a real prophecy to worry about." Annabeth than turned to Tyson. "Percy's right. Why don't you take Ella and Thron and shadow-travel somewhere for a while. Is Ella okay with that?"

"'Large dogs are good,' Old Yeller, 1957, screenplay by Fred Gipson and William Tunberg."

"Great! We'll Iris-message you guys when we're done and catch up with you later." The Romans looked at Reyna, it was hard to Reyna but Emily had a guess of what she might be thinking.

"Fine, Go."

"Yay!" Tyson went around the couches and gave everyone a big hug, both Emily and Bucky rubbed their ribs, Steve was about the only one that didn't do that after Tyson hugged him. That was only because of the serum, in the case of a Cyclopes, it was unfair that Steve had that advantage. Than Tyson climbed onto Thron before the dove straight into a shadow on the senate house wall and disappeared.

"Well. John is right about one thing. We must gain the senate's approval before we let any of our legionnaires go on a quest - especially one as dangerous as you're suggesting." It was than at the wind spirits began clearing the plates, Emily was about ready to say something but than there was yelling and screaming and the Romans pointed up at the sky. Emily looked up and gasp, for there was a blue light coming down from somewhere high above and it hit the protection around New Rome. The blue light seem to want to get into New Rome but it went skipping along the protection when it was unable to get through it. The blue light seem to spread out along the whole protection, when the blue light touched the ground that Emily almost screamed but Lauren did. For when the blue light touched the ground that HYDRA soldiers, from World War II had appeared where the blue light appeared. When the last blue light stopped that Emily had to stifle a scream, for standing there was the red skull.

Steve had turned to Emily, Emily looked at him, she knew what he was thinking as well as what was she thinking. How is possible that he managed to get here out of all places, after thro took Loki back to Asgard that there was a chance that the red soul could come back. But it was unlikely since he needed the Tesseract, but another wonder is how he was able to get to Camp Jupiter. The HYDRA soldiers were trying to get inside but Emily's protection was blocking them form entering. The red skull had reached out to get through but like with his soldiers he couldn't through either. Emily was rather glad that it was her protection doing this instead of Terminus, because she began to think of what could happen if it was Terminus that was protecting New Rome from the red skull. The red skull was looking at the Romans in the forum as though he was searching for someone, half depended on the fact that he came here either because of the demigods or Steve. So he was either looking for the leader or Steve.

"Captain America, I wondered if you were still alive after all this time." Steve had got up and slaked around the couches, Emily had got up and stood just behind him. There had been a few times of when Emily had fight along Steve fighting the red skull, but back than she could only really on her abilities from her mother as well as sword and staff. She didn't have her Hades or Hestia Powers when she last saw and fought the skull, nor did she have her second appearance, the appearance she was in now. Steve was about ready to walk forward but Emily grasp his arm and he looked at her, he nodded when he saw the look on her face. He stepped back as Emily stepped forward, the red skull tilted his head as Emily took a few steps towards him. He smirked a little before looking back at Steve. "You know, with the expedition of your sister, it's a bit unusual for you to allow a woman to fight or face me." Before Steve could say anything at Emily snapped her fingers and her appearance changed, the HYDRA soldiers took a step back as Emily took another step forward.

"Who ever said it was someone else." The red skull looked surprised but his smile returned as he looked at her.

"I should have known that was you, Lieutenant USA. Unlike your brother, I thought you would be died by now." This he looked down at her hands, Emily looked down and noticed he saw the wedding ring on her finger. This he looked back at her. "You had gotten married since we last saw each other in the base before the very last base you attacked where your brother and I had that fight in that plane." Emily glared at him, the HYDRA soldiers back up but the red skull didn't.

"What do you want?" A chuckled left him when Emily said that, he gestured to New Rome.

"I had done and seen much in the last many years since that fight. I will admit during that time I had wondered of how was it that you had those powers I saw you use during the battles on my bases. More so when no one else had them expect for the one woman who sometimes join you and the howling commandos. But her powers were different from yours, of which was strange. But since the I had found out that there demigods that roam this plant, you were one of them as well as that one friends of yours." Emily bit her lip, she knew where he was going with this. It was clear to her now. "Who would have thought that there are mortals with the power of the gods." Emily stared at him.

"Funny thing, you wanted the power of the Norse gods or the Asgardains. But now you what the power of the Greek and roman gods. It would be quite impossible for you to gain the powers of the Greek and roman gods." The red skull glared at her, if this was their first meeting, when Emily and Steve saved Bucky, she would have backed away from the glare. "The only way, you can possible gain the powers I have if you were born to one of those gods."

"Wouldn't you think that cross my mind and I do believe that I found a way around that." Emily tilted her head and smiled slightly, she had an idea of what he was talking about that would be a fail. For there had been a couple of people that had tried that before but it didn't work out. If it was mutants, it would work out. Emily wished that the red skull would go after the mutants instead of demigods.

"It won't work, a couple of mortals were aware of the demigods had tried and failed."

"Haven't you learned form you time fighting me?"

"Haven't you learned anything from the war? That villains never win." The red skull glared at her before he gestured. Suddenly a bunch of blue light hut the protection. Emily had to lower herself onto one knee from the impact, she strength the protection but times difficult. The Romans and the crew of the Argo II tried to fight back or do what they could, Bucky had come running over her and helped her to her feet. Emily could feel her protection weaken and some of the blue light enter New Rome and hitting the buildings and some of it hit the Argo II. Some of the soldiers entered New armor but they were thrown back by Terminus, Emily noticed that some of the Romans were out of the city limits fighting with their swords and other weapons. Frank was an eagle and Steve had his shield was fighting with the red skull, but the red skull managed to run away and Steve followed.

Emily let go of Bucky and ran into a shadow and appeared in front of the red skull of who stopped. Just as he red skull stopped that Steve knocked his shield against the back of the red skull's head making him fall to the ground. Emily felt her skull necklace enter her pocket, like it does whenever she leaves New Rome. She took it out and swished it, the red skull looked up and was about ready to get up when Emily thrust the sword into his chest. He screamed and his body dissolved and his essence was absorbed into the sword, Emily and Steve stood there. Emily looked up at Steve of who looked over at her.

"What happen to him and I thought sword was Stygian Iron?"

"It is, it is the only one of the three metals, used by demigods, that harms mortals. With my other sword being the exception since Adamantium and Vibranium were added to the sword in the war. But with this sword, his essence was absorbed into the sword." Steve raised an eye brow. "Don't ask, it will take a while to explain." When Emily and Steve got back that many of the soldiers were killed or they ran away from the kind of fighting that the Romans had been doing. Emily walked over to Reyna and she looked up at Emily.

"Who was that?"

"He is unimportant now, for he is died. So his name is unimportant." Emily looked around and spoke. "But I do believe that the eight and the ones going with them should get going though, the last thing New Rome is for another enemy of mine that I made through the avengers to come here now that one of my old enemies managed to find this place somehow. But I don't think my other enemies would come here but with what Gaea is doing, I don't want to attract attention. But let it stand that the eight have been decided." Reyna nodded when Emily did that, Emily and the others had climbed aboard the ship and sailed off to repair the ship since apparently they didn't have the needed supplies at New Rome.


	17. Chapter 17

It took a while before Festus find some Celestial bronze in Salt Lake City, Leo, Jennifer and Hazel had went to get the celestial bronze while Annabeth, Percy and Frank went and got tar. While everyone else remained on the Argo II, Phil and Aubrey were in Phil's cabin while Emily, Bucky, Steve and Lauren were in Bucky's and her cabin. Gleeson was in his cabin, doing who knows what with the satellite down, and Piper was with Jason. For during the fight with the HYDRA that Jason was hit with a falling brick of which he pushed Piper out of the way. Emily was sitting on the bed with her head on Bucky's shoulder, there so many times that she wonder of how things would be different if she was never adopted by that one family all those years ago. She figured that there was a chance that they would have married much more sooner than they had been. If they had, Han they would have been married for about seventy years or so. That was an odd thought. After a few minutes of silence that Steve and Lauren had left the cabin, Emily snuggled close to Bucky.

"Emily?"

"Hmm."

"What do you think could have happen if things turned differently?"

"Like what?"

"Like if Steve and I find out being demigod around the same time as you did."

"I think pretty much the same thing as if I was never adopted, that we would have dated sooner and got married sooner." Emily could tell was smiling at that.

"If that was the case than we would be married like seventy years or something. That is an odd thought. Though when you think about it, we are really close of being ninety."

"I think you hit Ninety already." Bucky laughed when Emily did that. Bucky was about ready to say something when there was horse hooves clomping across the deck over their heads. Emily and Bucky got out of heir cabin just as Jennifer, Leo and Hazel got below and went to the cabin that Piper and Jason were in. Emily and Bucky had went over to the three of them. Between the three of them they were carrying a large sheet of hammered bronze, Emily was looking at Leo as Piper spoke

"Gods of Olympus. What happened to you?" Leo's hair was greased back, he was wearing welding goggles on his forehead. Not only that but he had a lipstick mark on his cheek, tattoos all over his arms and a t-shirt that read HIT STUFF, BAD BOY and TEAM LEO. Emily looked at Bucky of who looked just as confused as she did, she looked back at Leo as he spoke.

"Long story. Others back?"

"Not yet." Leo cursed in Ancient Greek but hna Emily noticed that Jason was sitting up, Leo must have noticed it to.

"Hey, man! Glad you're better. I'll be in the engine room." Leo ran off with the sheet of bronze, Jennifer had followed closely saying she would help. Emily could see the slight blush on Jennifer's cheeks when she looked at Leo, she couldn't help but smile when she saw that. However, Hazel remained in the doorway.

"Team Leo?"

"We met Narcissus. Also Nemesis, the revenge goddess." Jason sighed when Hazel said that.

"You meet Nemesis?" Hazel nodded, than Jason spoke.

"I miss all the fun." On the deck above something went thump as if a heavy creature landed. Than Annabeth and Percy came running the hall, Phil, Aubrey, Lauren and Steve had come out, so that the hallway was filled with demigods. However Percy was carrying a steaming five gallon plastic bucket that smelled horrible, Annabeth has a patch of black sticky stuff in her hair and Percy's shirt was covered in it.

"Roofing tar?" Frank stumbled up behind them, making it even more jam pack than before, Frank has a big smear of black sludge down his face.

"Ran into some tar monsters. Hey, Jason, glad you're awake. Hazel, where's Leo?" Hazel pointed down the hall.

"Engine room." Suddenly the entire ship listed to port, the demigods stumbled. Emily was close of falling over and if it hadn't been for Bucky she would have fallen. Percy was close of spilling his bucket of tar.

"Uh, what was that?" Hazel looked embarrassed.

"Oh... We may have angered the nymphs who live in this lake. Like...all of them." Emily stared at Hazel.

"What? Why?" Hazel opened her mouth but closed it and gave Emily a looked that she would explain later. Percy handed the bucket of tar to Frank and Annabeth.

"Great. You guys help Leo. I'll hold off the water spirits as long as I can."

"On it!" Frank and Annabeth went to help Leo, Emily looked at Phil, Lauren, Aubrey, Steve and Bucky. Phil shrugged like may as well, so they went to help Leo in the engine room. Leo was glad for the extra help and they managed to get most of the repairs done. After who knows of how long that they managed to leave the engine room, they were pretty much caked in sweat, lime, dust and tar. Emily was rather tired as well Lauren, Emily figured that was partly due to the fact that they both were with a child. Leo was grinning like a madman, the TEAM LEO says AM LEO.

"Meeting in the mess hall, one hour, Crazy day, huh?" He said that as Emily and Bucky walked past him and they took a shower to get cleaned up. Once everyone was cleaned up that Gleeson took the helm and the demigods gathered below. It was the first time that the eight, as well as the added six, sat down together. Now that all eight of them were together that it was clear that the prophecy of the eight was unfolded. The tension in the mess hall was like an electrical storm, of which was possible considering that they had Percy and Jason in the room as well as Lauren. Percy and Jason tried to sit in the same chair, but Annabeth sat in the chair, so he sat on opposite sides of each other. They started eating and compared notes on what happened in Salt Lake City, even with Leo's story about tricking Narcissus didn't improve the mood of the group. Leo spoke with a mouthful of pizza.

"So where to now? I did a quick repair job to get us out of the lake, but there's still a lot of damage. Though it went quicker and covered with the added help. We should really put down again and fix things right before we head across the Atlantic." Percy was eating a piece of pie of which was blue, filling, crust and the whipped cream. However it was Emily who spoke

"We need to put some distance between us and Camp Jupiter. The last thing I need or to worry about is more monster attacks or even any of my old enemies coming back from the war or anywhere else to attack New Rome, the further we go the better." Silence followed this statement, everyone was starring at their food and it was Piper who spoke up first.

"You're right. We have to keep going. Not just because of what happen at New Rome. We have to hurry." Hazel nodded when Piper said that.

"Nemesis said we have only six days until Nico dies and Rome is destroyed."

"You mean Rome Rome, not New Rome?"

"I think. But if so, that's not much time."

"Why six days? And how are they going to destroy Rome?" No one answered, depending of how long they been there, that it could easy to destroy Rome. However Piper spoke

"There's more. I've been seeing some things in my knife." Frank froze with a forkful of spaghetti halfway to his mouth.

"Things such as... ?"

"They don't really make sense, just garbled images, but I saw two giants, dressed alike. Maybe twins." Emily looked at the magical video feed from Camp Halfblood on the wall, Emily bit her lip. She watched as it showed a room in the big house, the video made Emily feel homesick. It seem to have that affect on everyone but Frank and Hazel, Emily wasn't sure of the videos would make Frank and Hazel feel. Even though Emily no longer lives at Camp Halfblood that it was still her first real home after her father died and it was still was a big part of her life.

"Twins, like in Ella's prophecy. If we could figure out those lines, it might help."

"Wisdom's daughter walks alone. The Mark of Athena burns through Rome. Annabeth, that's got to mean you. Juno told me...well, she said you had a hard task ahead of you in Rome. She said she doubted you could do it. But I know she's wrong." Annabeth took a long breath before she spoke.

"Reyna was about to tell me something right before we were left on the Argo II. She said there was an old legend among the Roman praetors - something that had to do with Athena. She said it might be the reason Greeks and Romans could never get along." Leo, Jennifer and Hazel exchanged nervous looks.

"Nemesis mentioned something similar. She talked about an old score that had to be settled - "

"The one thing that might bring the gods' two natures into harmony, 'An old wrong finally avenged.'" Emily closed her eyes, Emily knew just from that of what they were talking about, even though they were unaware of that fact.

"I was only a praetor for about two hours. Jason, you ever hear a legend like that?" Emily looked at Jason, it was clear that he had an idea of what it was, but to was clear that he didn't want to say it.

"I...uh, I'm not sure. I'll give it some thought." Percy narrowed his eyes at Jason.

"You're not sure?"Jason didn't respond, so Emily spoke.

"I know exactly what it is and I know it for some time. It is part of the cause of this rivalry between the Romans and the Greeks. The first part was the Trojan war of when Aeneas left Troy after the war ended and he founded Rome. Many years later, after the gods gain their two aspects that the Romans had took the Athena Parthenos as a way to break the greek's spirit and an act of belittlement to Athena. This is why Athena, as Minvera, hates Rome so much and their culture, or part of it, the other part is because she lost her status as a war goddess as she become Minvera." Everyone was looking at Emily as she spoke, the only one that was not looking At her was Jason of who was looking at his plate of food. Emily was looking at Annabeth. "I will admit that Greeks on Roman soil is dangerous, mostly for children of Neptune and Pluto or Poseidon and Hades. The Romans accepted me because of how long I had been around and I learned of how they fight and think. So I blended in perfectly even though I am Greek. But when there is a child of Athena on roman soil, they are the ones most in danger. Mainly because of the story I just said." Annabeth was looking at her as through she was trying to figure out something.

"Are you sure you not a daughter of Athena, from the stories I heard of you as well as seeing you in action that it is hard to believe that up you are a daughter of Demeter and adopted daughter of Hades."

"Believe it, Annabeth. For that is what I am, a daughter of Demeter and Hades."

"How do you know of this story if Praetors only know about it?" Emily put her fork down that had a piece of steak on it.

"Annabeth, do you really think that children of Athena are the only ones who read? For the last seventy years, I pretty much helped demigods to get to both camps, though in the roman's case to the wolf house, or to the hunters. I also sometimes helped S.H.I.E.L.D. when I got bored, though most of the time I had to inform them of some of the things that was going on in the demigod world. I had a lot of spare time when I wasn't doing missions or in the underworld helping my father. So I had read all the stories I could find of all the roman and Greek gods and demigods as well as other stories and myths about other possible gods from other countries. So there don't you think there is a very good chance in about seventy years that I would come across that story." Annabeth looked at her and nodded. No one said anything when Emily said that, Emily looked over at Jason and spoke. "I know you are aware of this legend Jason, I know it is not thrilling to hear the story or to tell it. But it would be better to let it out instead of keeping it silent. It might be hard to figure or prophecies and guess them but if there is a clue to it, it would better if you say it." Jason had looked at her before he nodded. Silence fell upon them till Hazel broke it.

"What about the other lines? Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death."

"Giants' bane stands gold and pale, Won through pain from a woven jail."

"Giants' bane. Anything that's a giants' bane is good for us, right? That's probably what we need to find. If it can help the gods get their schizophrenic act together, that's good."

"We can't kill the giants without the help of the gods." Jason turned to Frank and Hazel.

"I thought you guys killed that one giant in Alaska without a god's help, just the two of you."

"Alcyoneus was a special case. He was only immortal in the territory where he was reborn - Alaska. But not in Canada. I wish I could kill all the giants by dragging them across the border from Alaska into Canada, but... Percy's right, we'll need the gods." Emily wasn't sure if it was going to be that easy, there was a chance that they may not help. From the sounds of it that the gods were having a personality disorder at the moment, it was apparent that the gods hadn't paid much attention to the fighting at New Rome. Since it seems that Hera had ran away from Olympus. But she remembered what Hera told her that she, along with Phil, Aubrey, Steve, Lauren and Bucky needed to help and protect them. Emily would have done that anyway as well as the other five, so it was pointless for Hera to tell her that.

"So... First things first, I guess. We'll have to put down in the morning to finish repairs."

"Someplace close to a city, in case we need supplies. But somewhere out of the way, so the Romans will have trouble finding us. Any ideas?" No one said anything at first, than Piper spoke.

"Well, how do you guys feel about Kansas?" Emily was sure that everyone was having trouble sleeping that night. For Gleeson spent the first after hour curfew doing his nightly duty, walking up and down the passageway. He was yelling as well of which didn't help at all.

"Lights out! Settle down! Try to sneak out, and I'll smack you back to Long Island!" He banged his baseball bat against a cabin door whenever he heard a noise and kept shouting at everyone to go to sleep. Emily wondered why Gleeson had come along on this trip, Gleeson was about the oldest person or creature on this ship, this it would most likely be Bucky. Emily had her arms around his neck with her face nuzzling into his neck as she tried to sleep but couldn't. She knows Bucky was just having as much of. A hard time with it as Emily because of Gleeson, but she had managed to get sleep at least. Emily had woke up as Bucky started to stir as well as the breakfast bell, there was a knock on the door and Lauren spoke through the door.

"Come you two, we are landing." Emily got up and changed out of her night clothes as well as Bucky, just after she put her brown leather jacket on that she put her hand over her stomach. When she did that, that she felt Bucky's hand on her cheek and she looked up at him.

"Don't worry, the baby will be fine." Emily sighed, she wanted a child and it seem scary at she was with one even if she only be with the child for a few days now. But she couldn't help but worry of what kind of life the child would have, even without having a demigod parents, the child still wouldn't have a normal life.

"I know, it's just that I am thinking of what could happen after the brith." Bucky hugged Emily and spoke softly.

"I am sure the child would grow up fine, it may not be a normal life but the child would not have a dull life. More so with Tony or even Arabella around. Can you think of what it would be like for Tony with two babies around?" Emily smiled when Bucky said that, she was about ready to say something when she heard Gleeson yelling.

"Thar she blows! Kansas, ahoy!" Emily looked up and shook her head as Bucky mad herself smiled. They left their cabin and grabbed a bagel from the mess hall as the ship's landing gear extended. Emily could hear the ship's landing gear extending, as they climbed the stairs that they joined by Piper. When they reached the deck that the joined the others as the Argo II settled in the middle of the sunflowers, the oars retracted and the gangplank lowered itself. Emily noticed that Percy was wearing a crash orange camp Halfblood shirt and he was standing at the rail with his arm around Percy. The funny part was that Phil was also at the rail with his arm around Aubrey, Emily wasn't present when Phil and Aubrey first meet but from what Phil told her that she wished she had been. For the idea of Aubrey repeating of what the one blond woman did to Steve seventy years was just a funny thought. It also made her wonder if every girl did that with a son of Demeter, Emily noticed that both Phil and Aubrey were wearing camp Halfblood shirts and jeans. Annabeth had took the bagel out of Piper's hand and took a bite from it, Emily was aware of their running joke back at camp a out stealing each other's breakfast.

"So! Here we are. What's the plan?"

"I want to check out the highway. Find the sign that says Topeka 32." Leo spun his Wii controller in a circle and the sails lowered themselves.

"We shouldn't be far, Festus and I calculated the landing as best we could. What do you expect to find at the mile marker?" Piper explained of what she had seen in the knife, a man in purple with a goblet, Emily had a feeling that Piper wasn't telling them everyipthingnbut Emily wasn't going to question that. From how Piper describe the man it sounded like Dionysus' roman form, Bacchus.

"Purple shirt? Vines on his hat? Sounds like Bacchus."

"Dionysus, If we came all the way to Kansas to see Mr. D - "

"Bacchus isn't so bad, I don't like his followers much..." Emily noticed that Piper shuddered.

"But the god himself is okay, I did him a favor once up in the wine country."

"Whatever, man. Maybe he's better on the Roman side. But why would he be hanging around in Kansas? Didn't Zeus order the gods to cease all contact with mortals?" Frank grunted, he was wearing a blue tracksuit of which Emily found amusing.

"The gods haven't been very good at following that order. Besides, if the gods have gone schizophrenic like Hazel said - "

"And Leo said." Frank scowled at Leo.

"Then who knows what's going on with the Olympians? Could be some pretty bad stuff out there."

"Sounds dangerous! Well...you guys have fun. I've got to finish repairs on the hull. Coach Hedge is gonna work on the broken crossbows. And, uh, Annabeth - I could really use your help. You're the only other person who even sort of understands engineering. I can use Steve's, Aubrey's, Lauren's and Bucky's help as well." Steve, Lauren, Bucky and Aubrey agreed to stay behind as well.

"He's right. I should stay and help." Percy kissed Annabeth's cheek.

"I'll come back to you. Promise." Franks slid his bow off of his shoulder and propped it against the rail

"I think I should turn into a crow or something and fly around, keep an eye out for anything like those soldiers."

"Why a crow? Man, if you can turn into a dragon, why don't you just turn into a dragon every time? That's the coolest." Emily slapped herself in the face, sure, Leo can be annoying but Frank was already having a hard time dealing with he fact that Leo looked like Sammy. But Leo was not helping Frank with his jokes.

"That's like asking why you don't bench-press your maximum weight every time you lift. Because it's hard, and you'd hurt yourself. Turning into a dragon isn't easy."

"Oh. I wouldn't know. I don't lift weights."

"Yeah. Well, maybe you should consider it, Mr. - " Thankfully Hazel stepped in.

"I'll help you, Frank, I can summon Arion and scout around below."

"Sure. Yeah, thanks." Emily watched as Jennifer went to Leo's side and grasp his hand. Emily hoped that the four of them could settle this before it went overboard. Jennifer spoke.

"I will stay here and help with the repairs as well." Hazel turned to Percy.

"Just be careful when you go out there. Lots of fields, lots of crops. Could be karpoi on the loose."

"Karpoi?"

"Grain spirits, You don't want to meet them."

"That leaves three of us to check on the mile marker. Me, Jason, Piper. I'm not psyched about seeing Mr. D again. That guy is a pain. But, Jason, if you're on better terms with him - "

"Yeah. If we find him, I'll talk to him. Piper, it's your vision. You should take the lead."

"Of course. Let's find the highway." Emily walked to the rail and looked down at the field before she spoke.

"Phil and I can check the perimeter of the ship. We can walk on the ground without too much of a worry. We have to goes a little ways out though." When she looked at Phil that he gave her a look, like you're kidding right. However it seem Jason liked the idea.

"That is a good idea and you two would have better luck with the Karpoi." When Japan said that, that Emily and Phil left the ship first, they walked as far as Emily dared to go. When they were out of ear shot that Phil spoke.

"Is there a reason you wanted to do this and drag me along with you?" Emily looked over at Phil.

"Well, neither one of us had anything to do, I figure we may as well do something. Besides I wanted to talk to you."

"About what, you know what my life is like, I will admit though, I hadn't been on a quest in a long time." Emily smiled and laugh, Phil stared at her.

"Phil, if you think about in you have done quests in a way." Phil raised an eyebrow when Emily said that. "You been on missions for S.H.I.E.L.D. I am pretty sure in the godly world those would be considered quests." Phil shook his head when Emily said that.

"Emily."

"Hmm."

"I know heard that story before. How come you never said anything about it." Emily stopped walking and looked at Phil, he stopped as well.

"I told you, that I was swore under the river Styx not to tell either side about each other. True, it might be just a story but there was a chance it would fall under the oath I made since I was aware of groups when I came across it." After a while they reached far enough out to form a circle around the ship, as they walked in the circle that Emily spoke. "Stella me, are you thinking of asking Aubrey to marry you." Phil glared at her when she said that, Emily didn't glare back though and spoke instead. "I can out glare you." Phil looked away.

"You know, we are not the only unmarried couple on the ship."

"Of course, but you two are at least twenty years older next to the unmarried couples." Emily watched Phil as he put his hand into one of his pockets, Emily smiled lightly when he did that. "You have the ring don't you?" Phil was close of blushing when Emily said that, Emily was always glad when the static expression comes off of his face. Sure it was fun to make fun that she knows what he was thinking even with the static expression on his face, but it was more fun when he didn't have the static expression on.

"Yes I do have the ring, I had it for the last month. I wasn't sure when I would ask her."

"How about after we save Rome or after this quest is over would be a good time." For much of the rest of the time that they tossed about the things they did together including of when they tried to talk to Tony before he become an avenger. Phil admitted that one party was the first time he saw Emily in a dress and high heels, even after that, that she wore two other dresses since than. One during Steve's wedding and one during her own wedding, of which wasn't a big surprise. A few times they had to deal with the Karpoi, but it was not very bad considering they could use their powers to stop them. The Karpoi hates them because of their powers and the fact that they were children of Demeter, or Ceres as the Karpoi kept calling them. Just after making their second circle and started heading back to the ship that Phil said something something she didn't expect.

"Emily, I am curious, are you feeling all right?" Emily stopped slaking, Phil stopped as well and she looked at him.

"Why are you asking me that question? The only time you ever ask me was when my allergies hit."

"I know, but I don't know. There is something off about you. I know it's not allergies. There is something wrong or have you had nightmares?" Emily would admit that she had some nightmares like a pit and she could feel something around her ankle and she was unable to cut it. But Emily knows he wasn't asking because of the nightmares that mostly everyone else had, he was asking because somehow Phil,was able to tell that she might be pregnant.

"I only had a couple of nightmares and they are not as badly as some of the other nightmares, I am sure."

"Something is bothering you." Emily tilted her head.

"You are not,to in to let this go, are you?"

"Not until you tell me?" Emily sighed.

"Phil,mI am sure you are aware of what comes with the blessing of Hestia when I become her champion?"

"Yes, you told me, you can sense family connections. You call tell of what kind of bond forms between certain people when not related as well being able to tell when someone is pregnant. You can heal, make food appear, and use fire. What does this have to do with anything?" Emily slaked past him.

"Simple, you said what is bothering me?" Phil quickly followed her.

"No, I didn't say ... " Phil stopped tasking and slaking, Emily stopped walking and looked at him. "Are you saying that you are pregnant?"

"I am." Phil walked over to her.

"Than why didn't you say anything when Lauren revealed she was pregnant."

"Simple, with every other woman on this planet, as long as I talked to them or know them, I would know when they are pregnant when they are about to a month to two month along. The only exception is me. I would know at once if I am pregnant."

"What are you saying?" Emily rolled her eyes.

"What I am saying is that I am not a month or even two months along. I am about a week along. The night before Lauren revealed she was pregnant was when I become with a child." Emily put her hand over her stomach. "As a result, I am always feeling that connection to my child, it will only get stronger as the child grows. Even with Lauren, that I only feel that connection when I am standing close enough. Honestly, when I become pregnant, I didn't expect it nor did the thought I would feel that connection to my child at all times." Phil was stunned when Emily said that.

"So you are pregnant? Does anyone else know besides you and me?"

"Bucky knows. I told him a couple of days ago before entering Alaska. I have to say it was an odd feeling to go to Alaska and not being able to use Hestia's blessing as well as the powers Hades gave to me when he adopted me. I could use the powers mother gave me at birth. I have to admit though, it was nice for a day of not sensing that connection and worry about the child growing in me."

"What about Hecate's blessing?" Emily shrugged when Phil said that.

"I never really used it all that much, the only reason I have it is because of Arabella and I would help her training at Hogwarts when I had the time. Or at least do it in a week of where Arabella can train easier, usually I would go to Hogwarts shortly after leaving the underworld. Please do me a favor and not tell anyone about what I told you."

"I won't say anything." Phil and Emily started walking once more. "Emily, I am wondering, what is going on with those four?"

"Which four?"

"Leo, Frank, Hazel and Jennifer."

"The love square?" Phil looked over at her with a confused look. Emily raised her eyebrow when Phil looked at her like that. "Phil, I thought you would know when you see something like that with the time we spent together while you were camp as well as afterwards. Though, I would admit that I am glad you don't get as excited as you use to when we meet after you learned what everyone now knows. But that is not important. I will admit I have more background on what is going on between the four of them. Basically it's this, Hazel was raised in the 1940s and she died in the 1940s and during that time she had a boyfriend, Sammy. Only a couple of days ago that Hazel and Frank become boyfriend and girlfriend. Yesterday, Leo and Jennifer got closer and I believe they will become a couple at some point. Provided that they get over one simple fact, though I am still trying to figure this out but I had been unable to do so. That is the fact that Leo looks like Sammy, Hazel's old boyfriend, in every way expect for the fact that Leo is a demigod. As far as I know, Leo doesn't know who Sammy is." Phil looked stunned but neither one said anything on the way back to the Argo II. Shortly after Emily and Phil got back that pipe came back with Percy and Jason knocked out on Blackjack's back. Emily, Steve, Bucky mad Lauren helped with Percy and Jason, as Emily touched Jason's hand that she felt cold. When so that happened that she had an idea of what happen, when they got to sickbay that they gave the two boys ambrosia.

"At this rate, we're going to run out of ambrosia, How come I never get invited on these violent trips?"

"Gleeson, I can conjure up more when we need it. I am he champion of Hestia and I can conjure up food when I need to, even Ambrosia and Nectar." Piper was sitting next to Jason while Annabeth was examining the horse shoe shape dent on the back of Percy's head.

"Leo, are we ready to sail?"

"Yeah, but - "

"Set course for Atlanta. I'll explain later."

"But...okay." Annabeth didn't argue with Piper when Piper said that, Emily looked at Bucky, Phil, Aubrey, Steve snd Lauren. All of them shrugged when she looked at them.

"What hit him?"

"Blackjack."

"What?" Piper tries to explain while Emily used her healing powers, as she tried to explain that both Percy and Japan groaned and opened their eyes. Wit hint a few minutes that Jason and Percy were sitting up in their bunks and were able to talk in complete sentences. Emily wasn't surprised had the had fuzzy memories of what happened, Emily notice that Percy's shirt was covered with burn holes and hai hair was even more disheveled than usual

"Knocked out twice in two days, Some demigod." Jason glanced over at Percy. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to blast you."

"Not the first time. Your big sister got me good once at camp."

"Yeah, but...I could have killed you."

"Or I could have killed you."

"If there'd been an ocean in Kansas, maybe."

"I don't need an ocean - "

"Boys, I'm sure you both would've been wonderful at killing each other. But right now, you need some rest."

"Food first, Please? And we really need to talk. Bacchus said some things that don't - "

"Bacchus? Okay, fine. We need to talk. Mess hall. Ten minutes. I'll tell the others. And please, Percy...change your clothes. You smell like you've been run over by an electric horse." Leo gave the helm to Gleeson again after making him promise than the wouldn't steer them to the nearest military base 'for fun'. After that they gathered around the dining table while Piper explained what happened at TOPEKA 32 and what they talked to Bacchus about as well the Eidolons. Emily knew that is what happened and he were still in Jason and Percy as well as Leo, the Eidolons she took care of hadn't entered any of the crew members yet and she wasn't sure what may happen if she tries to get them out of the three boys. Emily spoke.

"That is not the first time they appeared, they were on the ship when the Argo II came to anew Rome but I sent them to the underworld. At that time they didn't enter anyone quite yet. I think they were planning doing that when the ship landed. But I prevent that from happening."

"That would explain the gold feeling I got." Emily nodded when Annabeth said that.

"But won't the Eidolons try to do harm to New Rome if we keep going?"

"Maybe, but I doubt for they need to posses someone and they would prefer a Greek and use that Greek to attack New Rome."

"But wouldn't it be best if we make sure that New Rome is safe."

"I have that covered, Jason. But that is not the point of this quest Jason or even the reason of why the eidolon posses you." Than Annabeth spoke.

"The point is, we have to cross the Atlantic."

"You're right. We should just keep going. Once we're over the Atlantic, the quest would become more dangerous."

"How can you be sure?"

"You heard Reyna talking about the ancient lands. They're much too dangerous. Roman demigods have been forbidden to go there for generations. Even Octavian couldn't get around that rule."

"So, if we go there..."

"We'll be outlaws as well as traitors. Any Roman demigod would have the right to kill us on sight. But I wouldn't worry about that. If we get across the Atlantic, they'll give up on chasing us. They'll assume that we'll die in the Mediterranean - the Mare Nostrum." Percy pointed his pizza slice at Jason.

"You, sir, are a ray of sunshine." No one argued, Emily watched Percy eat. Sometimes she wondered if he was part Satyr, but it was possible he spend too much time around Grover or it could be his empathy link with Grover.

"So let's plan ahead and make sure we don't die. Mr. D - Bacchus - Ugh, do I have to call him Mr. B now? Anyway, he mentioned the twins in Ella's prophecy. Two giants. Otis and, uh, something that started with an F?"

"Ephialtes."

"Twin giants, like Piper saw in her blade... I remember a story about twin giants. They tried to reach Mount Olympus by piling up a bunch of mountains."

"Well, that's great. Giants who can use mountains like building blocks. And you say Bacchus killed these guys with a pinecone on a stick?"

"Something like that, I don't think we should count on his help this time. He wanted a tribute, and he made it pretty clear it would be a tribute we couldn't handle." Emily rolled her eyes when Percy said that, Dionysus, or whatever, can be an idiot even at the best of times. Emily could hear Gleeson from above, it sounded awful. Silence was upon them, Emily wondered who would say something first, to her surprise it was Piper.

"She wants two of us." Everyone looked at Piper. Emily could tell that Piper didn't feel comfortable with being the center of attention. "Today on the highway, Gaea told me that she needed the blood of only two demigods - one female, one male. She - she asked me to choose which boy would die."

"But neither of us died. You saved us."

"I know. It's just...Why would she want that?"

"Guys, remember at the Wolf House? Our favorite ice princess, Khione? She talked about spilling Jason's blood, how it would taint the place for generations. Maybe demigod blood has some kind of power."

"Oh..." Percy set down his third pizza slice, down, Emily looked at him in surprise. She expected him to finish eating that pizza slice. He leaned back and stared at nothing, Annabeth gripped his arm,

"Percy?"

"Oh, bad. Bad. Bad." Percy looked across the table at Frank and Hazel. "You guys remember Polybotes?"

"The giant who invaded Camp Jupiter. The anti-Poseidon you whacked in the head with a Terminus statue. Yes, I think I remember."

"I had a dream, when we were flying to Alaska. Polybotes was talking to the gorgons, and he said - he said he wanted me taken prisoner, not killed. He said: 'I want that one chained at my feet, so I can kill him when the time is ripe. His blood shall water the stones of Mount Olympus and wake Earth Mother!'" Emily shivered, she understood what that means, that with a blood of a female and male demigod could wake up Gaea fully. Emily felt Bucky grasp her hand, Emily looked at Bucky had he smiled and gave her a look that said don't worry.

"You think the giants would use our blood...the blood of two of us - "

"I don't know. But until we figure it out, I suggest we all try to avoid getting captured."

"That I agree with."

"But how do we figure it out? The Mark of Athena, the twins, Ella's prophecy...how does it all fit together?"

"Piper, you told Leo to set our course for Atlanta."

"Right, Bacchus told us we should seek out...what was his name?"

"Phorcys." Emily was close of laughing when Percy said that and the surprised look on Annabeth's face, to was like she wasn't used to having Percy giving the answers.

"You know him?"

"I didn't recognize the name at first. Then Bacchus mentioned salt water, and it rang a bell. Phorcys is an old sea god from before my dad's time. Never met him, but supposedly he's a son of Gaea. I still don't understand what a sea god would be doing in Atlanta."

"What's a wine god doing in Kansas? Gods are weird. Anyway, we should reach Atlanta by noon tomorrow, unless something else goes wrong."

"Don't even say that. It's getting late. We should all get some sleep."

"Wait." Emily knew why Piper said that, everyone looked at her none the less. "There's one last thing. The eidolons - the possessing spirits. They're still here, in this room." Piper explained of why she believes that the eidolon were still there, Gleeson was singing another song while Blackjack stomped his hooves whinnying in protest. It was Emily who spoke after Piper was finished.

"Piper is right." Hazel had nodded in agreement when Emily said that.

"How can you be sure?" It was Hazel who spoke before Emily could.

"I've met eidolons. In the Underworld, when I was...you know."

"Not only that but I am immortal and I helped Hades, or my adopted father, in the underworld and usually it is during this time of the year. I seen and meet Eidolons before now. I know that thye were in Jason and Percy when I touched their wounds. I would have taken them out by now but I have no idea of how to get them out of there. It could damage Jaosn and Percy if I try, how here is three of them and the third one is in Leo." Everyone was shocked when Emily did that and they glanced at Percy, Jason and Leo.

"I think I have an idea of how to do that. We have to take steps, I think I can do this."

"Do what?"

"Just listen, okay? Everybody listen." Piper meet Jason's, Percy's and Leo's eyes, when she spoke that she was using her charm speak.

"Eidolons, raise your hands." There was tense silence, than Leo laughed nervously.

"Did you really think that was going to - ?" His voice died, his face went slack and raised his hand. Jason and Percy did the same, Emily shivered once more and she felt Bucky wrap his arms around her as she shivered slightly. Their eyes turned glassy and gold, Frank scrambled out of his chair and put his back against the wall. Annabeth looked at Piper.

"Oh, gods. Can you cure them?" Even though Emily was used to Eidolons, this was freaking her out since she never saw them posses people before, Piper was focused on Leo.

"Are there more of you on this ship?"

"No,mThe Earth Mother sent three. The strongest, the best. We will live again. She sent three weak ones earlier. But this one destroy them." Leo looked at Emily when he said that, his voice was hollow, it was creepy.

"Not here, you won't, All three of you, listen carefully." Jason and Percy turned toward Piper, Emily could hear Lauren almost whimpering as she nuzzled against Steve. Emily could tell that Lauren felt unnerved and was scared, but she was sure part of it was because she was pregnant and being pregnant can affect women.

"You will leave those bodies."

"No." Leo let out a soft hiss before he spoke.

"We must live." Freak fumbled for his bow.

"Mars Almighty, that's creepy! Get out of here, spirits! Leave our friends alone!" Leo turned toward Frank

"You cannot command us, child of war. Your own life is fragile. Your soul could burn at any moment." Emily grasp Bucky's hand as Frank staggered like he been punched in the face, he drew an arrow and his hands were shaking,

"I - I've faced down worse things than you. If you want a fight - "

"Frank, don't." Hazel rose, next to Hazel, Jason drew his sword,

"Stop!"

"Listen to Piper." Hazel pointed at Jason's sword and the good sword seem to grow heavy and it clunked to the table and Jason sank back in his chair. Percy growled in an un Percy like way.

"Daughter of Pluto, you may control gems and metals. You do not control the dead." Annabeth reached towards as if to restrain but Emily waved Annabeth off. Emily pointed at Percy and he turned to look at her and he hissed, Emily knew that the eidolon in him knew who and what she was even if she wasn't her her daughter of Hades appearance. Emily than spoke sternly.

"Listen, eidolons, you do not belong here. I can command and I command to listen to Piper." Emily looked at Jason and Leo. "That goes for you two as well. Obey her." Hazel nodded when Emily said that, Emily turned towards Piper and her expression was clear, try again, you can do this and you are the only one who to do without causing harm. Emily knew she was putting a lot of pressure on Piper but she knew in her heart that Piper was the only one who could do this without causing harm to anyone. Piper looked straight at Jason before she spoke more forcefully with charmspeak.

"You will leave those bodies."

"We - we will leave these bodies."

"You will vow on the River Styx never to return to this ship and never to possess any member of this crew." Leo and Percy hissed in protest.

"You will promise on the River Styx." A moment of tension, Emily could tell the Eidolons were trying to fight back but were having a difficult time. Than they spoke in unison.

"We promise on the River Styx."

"You are dead."

"We are dead."

"Now, leave." When Piper said that, that Emily saw the three eidolon leave the three boys and went through a wall. All three boys slumped forward. Percy fell face first into his pizza.

"Percy!" Annabeth grabbed him, while Piper and Hazel caught Jason's arms as he slipped out of his chair. Leo wasn't as lucky, he fell toward Frank and Frank made no attempt to intercept him so that Leo hit the floor.

"Ow!"

"Are you all right?" Leo pulled himself up, he had a piece of spaghetti in the shape of a three stuck to his forehead.

"Did it work?"

"It worked, I don't think they'll be back."

"Does that mean I can stop getting head injuries now?"

"Come on, Lightning Boy. Let's get you some fresh air." Piper helped Jason to get up and walked to the door, when they reached the door that Jason turned around.

"Ghost girl, do you mind if at some point you make those brownies?" Hazel was about ready to say something but Emily spoke, since she know Jason was talking to her.

"Just get up on the deck, Lightning Boy." Than they left the room, Hazel turned and looked at Emily.

"Ghost Girl?"

"Yeah, since he basically grew up in New Rome and I went here plenty of times that he got to know me. When he was younger he had a a hard time saying Rachel. For some odd reason he found it easier to say Ghost Girl, ever since it had been Jason's nickname for me. No one else uses it, even Arabella doesn't use it." After Emily said hat, that everyone left to go to their own cabins. Emily and Bucky went to their cabin, when Emily laid down next to Bucky that he put one arm around her but he place a hand on her stomach.

"Do you know if it is a boy girl?" Emily smiled.

"I have no idea, that is the only thing that my Hestia powers can't tell me. However I know that they work differently when it is me that is pregnant. I might be able to tell the gender when I am far enough along. But there is no way of knowing till later on." After a few minutes of laying there that Emily and Bucky feel asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

When Emily woke up the next morning that there was a knock on her door and Steve walked in, she was barely awake when the knock had come and Steve entered. But she woke up fully when Bucky had yelled, "Steve." Emily nearly rolled off the bed if it hadn't been for the fact she she her arms around Bucky's neck. She was sure if she had her cabin and she wasn't married to Bucky that she would fallen to the floor. She was sure that was something that Steve would bug her about for the rest of her life that happened. Steve looked like he was going burst into laughter at the sight of them, Emily was at least glad that they were their night clothes. However she was glad that it was just Steve instead of Steve, Lauren and Phil. She knew Aubrey wouldn't bug Emily and Bucky too much about, but she knew Lauren, Steve and Phil well enough to know that they would have bugged her about it if the scene was different.

"Couldn't resist. Anyway, I need to tell you something." Emily let go of Bucky's neck and rubbed her eyes as she spoke.

"What is it?" Steve's face had turned grim.

"Percy and Annabeth are missing."

For the next hour everyone was trying to find Percy and Annabeth, there was a chance that they could have been taken or died. After that hour that Frank had managed to get everyone together and told them of where Percy and Annabeth were. So they went to the mess hall, when everyone was there that everyone had different reactions, Emily was relieved like most of the demigods there. Leo and Jennifer were grinning but Leo was muttering classic under his breath, however Bucky, Steve, Lauren and Hazel looked scandalized. Emily knew that their minds were still in the 1940s for the most part, Lauren and Hazel kept fanning themselves and wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. It was clear that Bucky expect Emily to do the same but she was close of laughing, for she got used to this time as time moved on for her. She love for seventy years the same age and she adjusted to the times quickly enough. Naturally Gleeson went ballistic.

"Never in my life! Against the rules! Irresponsible!" He was bellowing, waving his bat, knocking over a plate of apples.

"Coach, it was an accident. We were talking, and we fell asleep."

"Besides, you're starting to sound like Terminus." Gleeson narrowed his eyes at Percy, Emily looked at Lauren of who stopped fan inversely and was close of laughing now. During their time together at camp Halfblood at Gleeson had looked after Lauren and Emily, so he had become their protector and he still sees himself as their protector as well as the one looking after the eight. Whenever Emily and Lauren went in a quest together that they brought Gleeson with them.

"Is that an insult, Jackson? 'Cause I'll - I'll terminus you, buddy!" Emily could tell that Percy was trying not to laugh.

"It won't happen again, Coach. I promise. Now, don't we have other things to discuss?" Gleeson was fuming.

"Fine! But I'm watching you, Jackson. And you, Annabeth Chase, I thought you had more sense - " Jason cleared his throat.

"So grab some food, everybody. Let's get started." The meeting was normal for a war council meeting, even back when Emily was the head counselor for her cabin. For there was donuts around the table, back at Camp Halfblood that they had their most serious discussions around a Ping-pong table with crackers and cheez whiz. Percy had told them about his dream about the twin giants, what they were planning and that a Nick and Arabella were trapped in a bronze jar. That they were slowly dying from asphyxiation and that there was pomegranate seeds at their feet. Emily started to panic as Percy told them of his dream, Emily helped train Arabella and knew what Arabella could do. However she was unsure of how long Arabella and Nico could hold on there, she felt Bucky wrap his arms around her to comfort. Arabella and Nico may not be her siblings through blood but through adoption, because of that she still thinks of them as her siblings. Hazel and Jennifer choked back a son.

"Nico, Arabella... Oh, gods. The seeds."

"You know what they are?" Hazel nodded, Emily put her head on Bucky's shoulder as Hazel spoke.

"He showed them to me once. They're from our stepmother's garden."

"Your step... oh,,You mean Persephone."

"The seeds are a last-resort food.,Only children of Hades can eat them. Nico always kept some in case he got stuck somewhere. But if he's really imprisoned - " Hazel was nervous as well as Jennifer. It was harder to tell with Jennifer, Emily knew that because she knows Jennifer well enough, but the silverware was aiming at Hazel.

"The giants are trying to lure us, They're assuming we'll try to rescue them."

"Well, they're right! Won't we?" Hazel looked around the table, her confidence was crumbling.

"Yes! It'll involve fighting, right?" Emily rolled her eyes when Gleeson spoke with a mouthful of napkins.

"Hazel, of course we'll help him. But how long do we have before... uh, I mean, how long can Nico and Arabella hold out?"

"One seed a day. That's if they puts themselves in a death trance."

"A death trance? That doesn't sound fun."

"It keeps them from consuming all their air. Like hibernation, or a coma. One seed can sustain him one day, barely."

"And they has five seeds left. That's five days, including today. The giants must have planned it that way, so we'd have to arrive by July first. Assuming Nico and Arabella are hidden somewhere in Rome - "

"That's not much time," Piper put her hand on Hazel's shoulder. "We'll find him. At least we know what the lines of the prophecy mean now. 'Twins snuff out the angel's breath, who holds the key to endless death.' Your brother's last name: di Angelo. Angelo is Italian for 'angel.'" Emily lifted her head and spoke.

"Not only that but Hades had refer to Arabella as a light of angel as she grew up in the underworld. Pm ain't because it was a nice change to have a child down there."

"Oh, gods, Nico, Arabella..." Emily put her head back on Bucky's shoulder once more as Hazel spoke.

"We'll rescue them. We have to. The prophecy says they holds the key to endless death."

"That's right. Hazel, your siblings went searching for the Doors of Death in the Underworld, right? They must've found them."

"He can tell us where the doors are and how to close them."

"Yes. Good." Emily noticed Leo shifting in his chair.

"Uh... One thing. The giants are expecting us to do this, right? So we're walking into a trap?" Hazel looked at Leo like he made a rude gesture.

"We have no choice!"

"Don't get me wrong, Hazel. It's just that your sibling, Nico and Arsbella... They knew about both camps, right?"

"Well, yes."

"He's been going back and forth and he didn't tell either side." Jason sat forward and hai expression was grim.

"You're wondering if we can trust the guy. So am I." Emily lifted her head when Jason said that, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, not only that but she was surprised she wasn't included with Arabella and Nico. Emily had made it plain that she protected both the Romans and the Greeks, during the different battles including the one before they left New Rome Hazel shot to her feet,

"I don't believe this. They are my siblings. Nico brought me to Camo Jupiter, Arabella had watched out for me while I was in the underworld, and you don't want to help him?" Emily couldn't blame Hazel for acting like she was, since Emily wanted to do the same thing. Frank put his hand on her shoulder and he glared at Leo.

"Nobody's saying that. Nobody had better be saying that." Leo blinked.

"Look, guys. All I mean is - "

"Hazel, Leo is raising a fair point. I remember Nico and Arabella from Camp Jupiter. Now I find out they also visited Camp Half-Blood. That does strike me as... well, a little shady. Do we really know where his loyalties lie? We just have to be careful." Hazel's arms shook and a silver platter zoomed towards her and hit the wall behind her to her left, it splattered scrambled eggs.

"You... the great Jason Grace... the praetor I looked up to. You were supposed to be so fair, such a good leader. And now you..." Hazel stomped her foot and stormed out of the mess hall. Leo tried to call after her.

"Hazel! Ah, jeez. I should - "

"You've done enough." Frank growled at Leo and he started to follow Hazel, but Emily got up and out her hand on his shoulder but Piper spoke.

"Give her time," Piper turned to Jason and Leo before she frowned at Leo and Jason. "You guys, that was pretty cold." Jason looked shocked, even though he shouldn't be,

"Cold? I'm just being cautious!"

"Her brother is dying."

"I'll go talk to her." Emily kept her grip on his shoulder.

"No, Let her cool down first. Trust me on this. I'll go check on her in a few minutes."

"But... Fine. I'll wait." When Emily was sure he wasn't going to go after Hazel that Emily let go of Frank before she stormed over to Japan and she touched one of the leaves on her green bracelet and it turned into a dagger and she stabbed just I. Front of Jason of who looked utterly shock as well as everyone else.

"ARE YOU INSANE? DO YOU EVEN HAVE A BRIAN OR FEELINGS?"

"I was being cautio ... "

"CAUTIOUS OF WHAT, YOU ACCUSED NICO, ARABELLA AND MYSELF AS BEING AGENTS OF GAEA!"

"I never said you were."

"YOU DID TO, YOU SAID THAT BOTH ARABELLA AND NICO KNEW ANOUT BOTH CAMPS. I KNEW ANOUT BOTH CAMPS LONGER THSN EITHER ONE OF THEM."

But you are different."

"HOW AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REASON YOU MADE OF SAYING THAT NICO AND ARABELLA? HOW?" Everyone else backed away from Emily and Jason, the shadows and darkness was being pulled toward Emily, the aura of death and fear surrounding Emily was great. Jason was shaking out of fear, he couldn't even meet her eyes. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF SOMETHING HAPPENED AT NEW ROME? A CIVIL WAR COULD HAVE BEEN STARTED, I DID NOTHING BUT PROTECT NEW ROME AND THE GREEKS AND DO EVERYTHING I VNS TO MAKE SURE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. AFTER A WHILE, ARABELLA AND NICO STARTED TO HELP ME IN MAKING SURE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN SINCE IT WAS GETTING DIFFICULT OF MAKING SURE THE ROMANS ANS GREEKS DIDN'T MEET TILL IT WAS TIME FOR THE PROPHECY OF THE EIGHT TO START AND YOU DARE TO ACCUSE THEM AND OF THEIR LOYALTIES AND BEING TRAITORS."

Emily pulled her dagger out from the table and out the hilt against the bracelet and it become a Greek leaf once more. "This is one reason why the gods split the two sides apart because they are almost always accuse each other of things when they should be working together." Jason opened his mouth to say something, but Emily turned and left before Jason could say anything.

Bucky's pov

Bucky would admit that when he went to new Rome with Emily a few times in the last year that he saw Emily get mad. That was mostly because of how thick headed some of the Romans were being, Bucky was glad that he was with Emily when he went and he could understand of why she didn't let him go there till he was more ready. But the Romans got used to him and Emily rarely got mad whence was there, not only that but he was glad that Steve and Emily were not Romans. For he couldn't began to think of what it would be like for Steve if he went to a Camp Jupiter if he found out he was a demigod sooner than he did. With what Rome stood for that Bucky didn't think Steve had a much of a chance till after the serum. With enjoy, she had a slightly better chance of making it through than Steve, for Emily was one of the most kindest and gentle people that he knows. He knows she had a temper in her before he fell off the train, for it showed up form time to time, but it was nothing compared to he temper Lauren could put on.

When Bucky and Emily reunited that Emily hardly changed, he knew that she had changed some but he rarely saw those changes, even when he was at Camp Jupiter with her, but he cousin see the roughness and toughness she displayed at camp, even though she used the shadows to push people back at her still make sure that they were not hurt to badly. He hadn't been surprised when Emily got up and stopped Frank from going after Hazel, Bucky knew that Emily was bothered by what Jason and Leo said, though it was more on Jason than Leo. For to was clear that Leo didn't really meant fully of what Jason said. But what followed after Emily let go of Frank's shoulders shocked Bucky for not once had he ever see Emily like this. When she left the room that he looked at Steve, Lauren, Phil and Aubrey of were the only other ones that knew Emily the best besides Jennifer of who was sitting in the corner crying. The looks he got from Steve, Lauren, Phil and Aubrey clearly showed that they never show Emily like that before.

Bucky had noticed that Emily's temper seem bigger when he reunited with her, for he saw it a few times and each time he thought he saw the worst of it. But that had to be the worst he had ever seen her, he other times she saw her lost her temper since coming back into her life that he was glad he wasn't on her anger end. With what happened that he hoped he would never be on her anger end, for Bucky could say that was scary. He tried to think of what that temper would be like before he fell off the train, but he couldn't, Bucky believes that was partly because her temper before was not nearly as scary. No one seem want to move or say anything when Emily had stormed out, Jason sat there with his eyes wide open and he looked like a fish with his mouth hanging open. The only other time he see since a temper was the first time he meet Arsbella, that was rather scary and she was like fifteen or sixteen. He couldn't remember for sure, but she was seventeen now or close to it, but a whirring sound, like a large drill, had broke the silence.

"That's Festus, I've got him on autopilot, but we must be nearing Atlanta. I'll have to get up there... uh, assuming we know where to land." Everyone turned to Pecy, Jason raised an eyebrow,

"You're Captain Salt Water. Any ideas from the expert?" Bucky could hear the resentment in Jason's voice, he wasn't sure of where or why Jason would be resentment towards Percy.

"I'm not sure. Somewhere central, high up so we can get a good view of the city. Maybe a park with some woods? We don't want to land a warship in the middle of downtown. I doubt even the Mist could cover up something that huge." Leo nodded.

"On it." Leo raced for the stairs. Frank settled back in his chair as well as the others, it was clear that Frank felt protective over Hazel as well as Emily. Even before Emily become the champion of Hestia, after his supposed death, that Emily cared for her family and did everything she could to protect Steve bad Lauren or did her best to keep them out of harm's way as she could. She did the same thing with Bucky as well, it was just in her nature, he expected Emily to reacted to what Jason said earlier but not the one Jason got. Bucky had noticed the baleful look Frank was giving Leo as Leo left the mess hall.

"When we land, I'll scout around in Atlanta. Frank, I could use your help."

"You mean turn into a dragon again? Honestly, Percy, I don't want to spend the whole quest being everyone's flying taxi."

"No, I want you with me because you've got the blood of Poseidon. Maybe you can help me figure out where to find salt water. Besides, you're good in a fight."

"Sure. I guess."

"Great, We should take one more. Annabeth - "

"Oh, no! Young lady, you are grounded." Annabeth stared at him like he was speaking in a foreign language, Bucky was sure he wouldn't be telling that to Emily or any of them that were married or even Phil and Aubrey.

"Excuse me?"

"You and Jackson are not going anywhere together! I'll go with Frank and Mr. Sneaky Jackson. The rest of you guard the ship and make sure Annabeth doesn't break any more rules!" When they got on deck that Bucky heard Percy say wow and Bucky couldn't agree more. They landed near the summit of a forested hill, a complex of white buildings nestled in a grove of pines to the left. It looked like a university or a museum, below them spread the city of Atlanta, a cluster of brown spans silver downtown skyscrapers two miles away. Bucky wished Emily could see this but she wasn't up here, he figured she was down in their cabin. Coach Hedge inhaled the morning air.

"Ah, lovely spot. Good choice, Valdez."

"I just picked a tall hill. That's a presidential library or something over there. At least that's what Festus says."

"I don't know about that! But do you realize what happened on this hill? Frank Zhang, you should know!" Bucky looked at the satyr as Frank flinched.

"I should?"

"A son of Ares stood here!"

"I'm Roman...so Mars, actually."

"Whatever! Famous spot in the American Civil War!"

"I'm Canadian, actually."

"Whatever! General Sherman, Union leader. He stood on this hill watching the city of Atlanta burn. Cut a path of destruction all the way from here to the sea. Burning, looting, pillaging - now there was a demigod!" Frank inches away from the satyr, Bucky couldn't blame Frank, Bucky wasn't sure of what to make of this satyr. Bucky meet satyrs before in Camp Halfblood and until last December he never meet a satyr that was unlike any other satyr he meet. The two that seem the most comfortable around Coach was Lauren and Emily, Bucky couldn't understand of why that was.

"Uh, okay."

"Anyway, let's try not to burn down the city this time." Coach Hedge looked disappointed when Percy said that.

"All right. But where to?" Percy pointed downtown.

"When in doubt, start in the middle."

When Percy, Frank, and Coach Hedge left that everyone went to do their own thing, Bucky went back to his chain, hoping that Emily was in there. Sure enough when he entered the cabin that Emily was there laying on the bed sleeping, it seemed she cried herself to sleep. She was tossing and turning of which was us usual for Emily to do, even before they got married. Bucky closed and locked the door before he worked over to the bed and stirred Emily gentle, after. A minute that Emily had woke up and was about ready to grasp her poppy but stopped when she saw it was Bucky. It looked like she she been crying, Emily sat up suddenly and throw her arms around his neck and out her head on his shoulder and started to cry. Bucky wrapped his arms around her, wondering what happen in her dreams.

Emily's pov

Emily was mad, Jason should better than claim that they should be careful because he was unsure of where Arabella's and Nico's loyalties lie. Out of everyone there besides Hazel, Jennifer and Emily, that Jason should know where their loyalties lie. Just because it shady that both Arabella and Nico visited both camps doesn't mean that their loyalties wasn't to the gods. For she knows that is where their loyalties lie, she knows all to week and that they would protect their family. She knows that they were always pushed aside due to the fact they were children of the underworld. Everyone seem to judge them on that fact alone or at least in the demigod world, it was stupid. Sure most people don't know the underworld all that well, but that doesn't mean that children of Pluto or Hades were bad luck just because of who they father was or that they shouldn't be trusted. When Emily reached her chain that she laid down and started to cry before falling asleep.

As she slept that she dream of her past from when Bucky fell form the train till the day before she found Phil and learned he was her half brother. Of which was about twenty years, twenty years of being lost, alone, sad, unsure, and much more. It was a difficult time for her since she she lost so much and saw so much that it was hard to those in. She had no comfort expect for her mother, Hestia, Persephone and Hades and even at times that wasn't enough and they knew it. She was always male sot busy doing something including reading, she reached memory of the day of when she visited the area of where Bucky fell twenty years before when she found herself being shaking awake. When she was awake she went to grasp her poppy but stopped when she saw Bucky sitting on the bed next to her. She stopped herself, instead she sat up and threw her arms around his neck and started to cry into his shoulder. She felt Bucky wrap his arms around her for comfort, Emily wasn't sure of how long they were like before she managed to stop crying but she kept her head on his shoulder.

"Emily, are you all right?" Emily lifted her head, her Hestia powers were still somewhat wacky because of her child. Emily wasn't sure if her child had anything to do what what she did earlier but she doubted that very much. For she hardly even noticed her Hestia powers when she got mad at Jason, the memories in her dreams scared and worried her. It felt like they were symbols, signs or something.

"I have been better." Emily looked at Bucky before she spoke. "Don't worry the child is fine and what happen had nothing to do with the child." It seem Bucky was slightly relief when Emily said that, she knows that Bucky see her become mad before. There was only a few times of when Emily got as mad as she did with Jason, however that was had been pretty much against Hades or Octavian.

"I never seen you get that mad before."

"I know, it only happened a few times before, all nose times was acutely before I knew of what really happen to you as well as Steve and Lauren. So it was like over two years ago since I last lost it like that. It was just really annoying when Jason thought that their loyalties were to Gaea, I know Nick and Arabella well enough to know that they never would side with her. More so with the fact she trapped them in that bronze jar. It always seem like the Romans were either blaming Neptune, Pluto or Athena for half of their problems or bad luck. I can understand that, just from the roman past. But it really needs to be fix, badly."

"I have to admit it was rather scary, I would be surprised if Jason wet himself from that." Emily smiled when Bucky said that. "Before the train, I saw you lose your temper but it was never scary before, at least it doesn't happen very often like in the past."

"Hurray for that, anyway, the main reason why this time it was scary because of one simple change. That is the fact Hades adopted me, so when I lost my temper now, shadows and darkness reach out to me and I can't control the death and fear aura that comes off of me like I can the rest of the time." But than Emily heard people rushing by, the door opened and Phil entered, he looked between Bucky and Emily. Emily knew that her cheeks were stained with tears and that her hair was ranger messy, but she didn't care though. But at least Phil looked relieved that she was no longer angry.

"Frank, Percy and Coach Hedge came back. We need to move."

"Where did they go?" Bucky helped Emily up as they went to the door and followed Phil.

"They went into Atlanta." Leo, Piper, Jason, Steve, Lauren, and Aubrey were already up there. It looked like they she been eating lunch to something since Leo was holding a half eaten grilled cheese sandwich.

"What? What? Can't a guy even take a lunch break? What's wrong?"

"Followed!"

"Followed by what?"

"I don't know! Whales? Sea monsters? Maybe Kate and Porky!" Emily looked at Bucky go who shrugged.

"That makes absolutely no sense. Leo, you'd better get us out of here." Leo put his sandwich between his teeth and ran to the helm. Soon the Argo II was rising in the sky and there was no sit of being followed, it seem that Percy, Gleeson, and Frank didn't calm down till the city was far behind them. Percy was hobbling around the deck like an old man and he sounded shaken up.

"Charleston, Set course for Charleston."

"Charleston? What exactly did you find in Atlanta?" Frank unzipped his backpack and started being up stuff.

"Some peach preserves. A couple of T-shirts. A snow globe. And, um, these not-really-Chinese handcuffs." Emily raised an eyebrow when Frank pulled that stuff out, it seem that Frank was a bit clueless with the question that was asked.

"How about you start from the top - of the story, not the backpack." They gathered around the quarterdeck so Leo could hear the conversation as he navigated. Percy and Frank took turned of saying what happen to them, Gleeson interjecting form time to time with that was awesome or than he kicked her in the head. It seemed like Gleeson forget about what happened with Annabeth and Percy last night. But there was worse things to worry about, when Percy brought the captive sea creatures that Emily felt sorry for the animals.

"That's terrible. We need to help them."

"We will in time. But I have to figure out how. I wish... Never mind. First we have to deal with this bounty on our heads." Gleeson lost interest in the conversation and wandered toward the bow of the ship. Emily tugged at her poppy as Annabeth gripped the hilt of her dagger.

"A bounty on our heads...as if we didn't attract enough monsters already."

"Do we get WANTED posters? And do they have our bounties, like, broken down on a price list?" Hazel wrinkled her nose, Emily rolled her eyes when Leo said that.

"What are you talking about?"

"Just curious how much I'm going for these days,mI mean, I can understand not being as pricey as Percy or Jason, maybe...but am I worth, like, two Franks, or three Franks?"

"Hey!"

"Knock it off, at least we know our next step is to go to Charleston, to find this map." Emily leaned into Bucky as Piper leaned against the control panel.

"A map. But a map to what?"

"The Mark of Athena." Percy looked at Annabeth, like he was afraid he'd overstepped. Emily figured that Annabeth didn't want to talk about,

"Whatever that is. We know it leads to something important in Rome, something that might heal the rift between the Romans and Greeks."

"The giants' bane."

"And in my dream, the twin giants said something about a statue." Frank was rolling his not exactly Chinese handcuffs between his fingers.

"Um... According to Phorcys, we'd have to be insane to try to find it. But what is it?" Everyone looked at annabeht expect Emily, than Emily spoke.

"You already know, it is the Athena Parthenos." Emily looked at Annabeth of looked scared, Emily couldn't blame for the prophecy was becoming more clear to Annabeth. Emily stepped away from Bucky and took a couple of steps toward Annabeth before putting her hands on Annabeth's shoulders. "It is becoming clear to you know of what you must do and what is waiting for you in Rome. I had guesses when I had come across that legend and story with the things I heard from Camp Jupiter among other sources. Every attempt so far has failed, but I do believe this time this attempt won't fail. But what will happen and it will succeed is something I can't say." Jason spoke up.

"How can you be sure this time it will succeed." Emily looked at Jason.

"Because eight of the greatest heroes must travel to stop the giants and the earth. Putting the eight together would be one of the greatest quests. One that would be remembered for a long time. Even though there isn't a civil war on, the rift must be healed." Everyone was looking at Emily and Annabeth, thsn Annabeth spoke.

"I - I'm close to an answer,mI'll know more if we find this map. Jason, the way you reacted to the name Charleston...have you been there before?" Jason glanced uneasily at Piper.

"Yeah, Reyna and I did a quest there about a year ago. We were salvaging Imperial gold weapons from the C.S.S. Hunley."

"The what?"

"Whoa! That's the first successful military submarine. From the Civil War. I always wanted to see that."

"It was designed by Roman demigods. It held a secret stash of Imperial gold torpedoes - until we rescued them and brought them back to Camp Jupiter." Hazel crossed her arms.

"So the Romans fought on the Confederate side? As a girl whose grandmother was a slave, can I just say...not cool?" Jason put his hands in front of him palms up.

"I personally was not alive then. And it wasn't all Greeks on one side and all Romans on the other. But, yes. Not cool. Sometimes demigods make bad choices." Jason looked at Hazel and Jennifer. Before looking at Emily sheepishly. "Like sometimes we're too suspicious. And we speak without thinking." Emily watched Jason grow up and knew that he was apologizing. Jason elbowed Leo of who yelped.

"Ow! I mean, yeah...bad choices. Like not trusting people's brothers who, you know, might need saving. Hypothetically speaking."

"Yes, but one trends to be angry more at one person than another." From the glare Emily sent Jason that Jason knew she was more angry at him an she was at Leo. Even though Leo started it, Jason made it worse than Leo did, more so since Jason knows Nico better than Leo knows Nico.

"Fine. Back to Charleston. Are you saying we should check that submarine again?"

"Well...I can think of two places in Charleston we might search. The museum where they keep the Hunley - that's one of them. It has a lot of relics from the Civil War. A map could be hidden in one. I know the layout. I could lead a team inside."

"I'll go. That sounds cool." Jason nodded when Leo said that before turning to Frank of who was trying to pull his fingers out of the Chinese handcuffs.

"You should come too, Frank. We might need you." Frank looked surprised.

"Why? Not like I was much good at that aquarium."

"You did fine. It took all three of us to break that glass."

"Besides, you're a child of Mars. The ghosts of defeated causes are bound to serve you. And the museum in Charleston has plenty of Confederate ghosts. We'll need you to keep them in line." Frank gulped and he seem relented

"Okay. Sure." Frank frowned at his fingers, trying to pull them out of the trap. "Uh, how do you - ?" Emily smiled as Leo chuckled.

"Man, you've never seen those before? There's a simple trick to getting out." Frank tugged again with no luck, Hazel was trying it laugh as well as everyone else. Frank grimaced with concentration, suddenly he disappeared. Where he had been standing was a green iguana crouched next to an empty set of Chinese handcuffs. Leo did his impression of Chiron.

"Well done, Frank Zhang. That is exactly how people beat Chinese handcuffs. They turn into iguanas." Everyone busted out laughing and franks turned back to a human before picking up he handcuffs and putting it in his backpack.

"Anyway. The museum is one place to search. But, uh, Jason, you said there were two?" Jason's smiled faded when Frank said that.

"Yeah. The other place is called the Battery - it's a park right by the harbor. The last time I was there...with Reyna... We saw something in the park. A ghost or some sort of spirit, like a Southern belle from the Civil War, glowing and floating along. We tried to approach it, but it disappeared whenever we got close. Then Reyna had this feeling - she said she should try it alone. Like maybe it would only talk to a girl. She went up to the spirit by herself, and sure enough, it spoke to her." Everyone waited for Jason to say something.

"What did it say?"

"Reyna wouldn't tell me. But it must have been important. She seemed...shaken up. Maybe she got a prophecy or some bad news. Reyna never acted the same around me after that." No one SIDS anything quite yet, it seem that Annabeth was thinking and considering of what Jason said.

"A girls' adventure, then Piper and Hazel can come with me." Both nodded, though Hazel looked nervous, than Annabeth turned and looked at Emily. "Do you mind and come as well." Emily was surprised by thst, she expected to stay on the ship, she looked at Bucky and the others. Bucky nodded, Emily looked at Annabeth.

"All eight I will go along as well. He last time I had a girl's adventure was just before World War II when Lauren and I played our last capture the flag before entering the SSR." Lauren snorted.

"I remember that, those ares kids were either tangled in trees or heir armor were burned from lightning." Emily smiled slightly when Lauren said that. This Jason spoke up.

"Bucky, Phil and Steve can come with us. Percy cns stay here." Jason looked at Lauren and Aubrey. "Do you mind if you two stays here." Lauren spoke.

"No, we don't mind." Lauren put her arm over Aubrey's shoulder. "It will give the two of us some girl task." Lauren winked spat Emily, Emily covered her hand with her mouth to prevent her form laughing. Emily knew what she was planning, since during the war and after Emily started dating Bucky that they had late night talks provided that they were in the same camp. They used to tease Steve and Bucky a lot though Bucky and Steve never heard most of nose things. Emily removed her hand form her mouth and spoke.

"You two better have fun."

"So that's settled." Annabeth turned to Leo, who was studying his console, listening to Festus creak and click over the intercom. "Leo, how long until we reach Charleston?"

"Good question, Festus just detected a large group of eagles behind us - long-range radar, still not in sight." Piper leaned over the console.

"Are you sure they're Roman?"

"No, Pipes. It could be a random group of giant eagles flying in perfect formation. Of course they're Roman! I suppose we could turn the ship around and fight - "

"Which would be a very bad idea and remove any doubt that we're enemies of Rome."

"Or I've got another idea, If we went straight to Charleston, we could be there in a few hours. But the eagles would overtake us, and things would get complicated. Instead, we could send out a decoy to trick the eagles. We take the ship on a detour, go the long way to Charleston, and get there tomorrow morning - " Hazel started to protest but Leo went on. "I know, I know. Nico's in trouble and we have to hurry."

"It's June twenty-seventh. After today, four more days. Then he dies."

"I know! But this might throw the Romans off our trail. We still should have enough time to reach Rome."

"When you say should have enough..."

"How do you feel about barely enough?" Hazel put her face in her hands for a count of three,

"Sounds about typical for us."

"Okay, Leo. What kind of decoy are we talking about?"

"Hang on." Everyone looked over that Emily. "Where are this eagles?" Leo moved over and she looked at the long range radar. It was eagles but from the way they were moving that it seem a bit odd for an eagle, Lauren and come over and looked down at the radar. Lauren spoke.

"There is something wrong with nose eagles." Emily reached out with her powers form hades and Hestia as well as her protection over New Rome, she wasn't sure what she expected. She noticed something, the eagles were shades and he could sense half of the first and second cohort behind them. The rest of the legion were back at Camp Jupiter, it was clear that the power hungry and the Greek hating Romans were after them.

"The Eagles are shades and half of the first and second cohort are trying to follow us. I will dels with the first and second cohort members that decided to follow whoever is leading them." Emily looked at Leo. "It looks like we need that decoy."

"All right and I'm so glad you asked!" He punched a few buttons on the console, rotated the turntable, and repeatedly pressed the A button on his Wii controller really, really fast. He called into the intercom, "Buford? Report for duty, please." Frank took a step back as Emily rolled her eyes when he did so.

"There's somebody else on the ship? Who is Buford?" A puff of steam shot from the stairwell and Leo's automatic table climbed on deck. Emily only saw him once when Leo brought it back after it ran away or something like that. Emily knew he was on the ship but Buford stay in the engine room for the most part.

"This is Buford."

"You name your furniture?" Leo snorted.

"Man, you just wish you had furniture this cool. Buford, are you ready for Operation End Table?" Buford spewed steam and he stepped to the railing, his top split into for pie slices of which elongated into wooden blades. The blades spun and Buford took off.

"A helicopter table. Gotta admit, that's cool. What's in the bag?"

"Dirty demigod laundry, I hope you don't mind, Frank."

"What?"

"It'll throw the eagles off our scent."

"Those were my only extra pants!" Leo shrugged.

"I asked Buford to get them laundered and folded while he's out. Hopefully he will." Leo rubbed his hands and grinned. "Well! I call that a good day's work. I'm gonna calculate our detour route now. See you all at dinner!"

That night Emily slept better than when she fell asleep after yelling at Jason, Emily figured that was partly because she got so use to Bucky sleeping next to her that without him there that it brought back nightmares. When Emily woke up that Bucky was gone already, she figure he was getting ready or on his way to the museum with the other boys, that is all the boys but Percy and Gleeson. Emily did wondered of what it would be like to watch them at the museum but she had something to of herself that day. When Emily reached the deck that Gleeson said that the boys would be back at sunset or hey promised to be. When Annabeth came up that Emily, Piper, and Hazel were waiting for her, Percy was at the rail. Lauren and Aubrey were down below in Aubrey's cabin, Emily was sure that they were talking about Phil. First annabeth turned to Percy.

"What are you going to do while we're gone?"

"Jump into the harbor, I want to try communicating with the local Nereids. Maybe they can give me some advice about how to free those captives in Atlanta. Besides, I think the sea might be good for me. Being in that aquarium made me feel...unclean." Annabeth kissed Percy.

"Good luck, Seaweed Brain. Just come back to me, okay?"

"I will. You do the same." Than Annabeth turned to Piper and Hazel.

"Okay, ladies. Let's find the ghost of the Battery."

As they walked along the battery that Emily wondered what will happen when they find this woman hat Jason spoke of, Emily looked at the signs, according to the signs that the seaside park was called white point gardens. The ocean breeze swept away the hear of summer afternoon, the hear didn't bother her too much nor did the cold. However before the heat and the cold did bother her, that was only because she wasn't the daughter of hades or the champion of Hestia. There were old civil war cannons and bronze statues of historical figures. The Charleston harbor was glittering in the sun, to the north and south were strips of land stretched out like arms enclosing the bay. A mile out there was an island with a stone fort, Emily knew that fort but didn't comment on it. They turned away from the sea wall and explored the inland side of the gardens, Emily looked around. The strolled along south battery street, there were lines of four story colonial mansions. The brick walls were blackened with ivy. The front gardens were bursting with rose bushes, honeysuckle, and flowering bougainvillea. It was like her mother put a timer in them and forget to check on them.

"Kind of reminds me of New Rome. All the big mansions and the gardens. The columns and arches." Emily didn't say anything as they walked, no one else did either. Emily kept looking around, it seem hard to believe the history that goes with places like this. Emily wasn't the only one looking around for Piper was as well, Emily was sure that was partly due to the fact of what happened at Kansas. Hazel was preoccupied as well and was deep in thought, but it was hard to tell for sure if it was because of Nico or if she was taking in the surroundings. As they walked that Emily noticed something out of the corner if her eye, it was a figure. Piper grabbed Annabeth's arm.

"There." Piper pointed across the harbor, a hundred yards out a shimmering white figure floated on the water. Emily knew it wasn't a small boat for it was moving more smoothly than a boat and it was making a straight line towards them.

"The ghost."

"That's not a ghost. No kind of spirit glows that brightly." As Emily looked at the figure that Emily notice that Piper was in some kind of trance, Piper walked across the street toward the edge of the sea wall. She narrowly avoiding a horse drawn carriage. Emily panicked slightly as she watched.

"Piper!"

"We'd better follow her." When Anabeht, Emily, and Hazel caught up with Piper that the ghostly figure was only a few yards away. Piper was glaring at it like the sight offended her.

"It is her." Emily looked between Piper and the ghost, Emily wondered what Piper meant by that. The figure floated up the sea wall and stopped in front of them, than the glow faded and Emily understood of what Piper meant. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, her features seem to shift from one glamorous movie star to another. Her eyes sparkled playfully and her eyes were blue, the same color as Emily's eye color, her hair was long, straight and blond much like Emily's hair color and wore no make up. The woman was dressed like a southern belle, just as Jason described, her gown was a low cut bodice of pink silk and a three tiered hoop skirt with white scalloped lace. She wore tall white silk gloves and held a feathered pink and white fan to her chest. But the woman had a grace that Emily couldn't match in a feminine way and she seem to radiated feminine charm that no man could possibly resist. But the effect on Emily was not as great on her as Annabeth or Hazel, she was unsure about Oipee.

"Aphrodite."

"Venus?"

"Mom."

"Girls!" The goddess spread her arms like she wanted a group hug. The four of them didn't hug her though, Hazel backed into a palmetto tree.

"I'm so glad you're here. War is coming. Bloodshed is inevitable. So there's really only one thing to do."

"Uh...and that is?"

"Why, have tea and chat, obviously. Come with me!" Emily followed Aphrodite to the central pavilion in the gardens, a white pillared gazebo where there was a table set with silverware, china cups and of course a steaming pot of tea. The fragrance shifted as easily as Aphrodite's appearance, sometimes cinnamon, Jasmine or mint. When Emily smelled the cinnamon that she remembered what Bucky told her shortly after she found him at her cabin, that among her smell of nature that she smelled like cinnamon as well. There were plates of scones, cookies and muffins, fresh butter and jam. Aphrodite sat in a wicker peacock chair, she poured the tea and served cakes without getting anything on her clothes. Her posture was perfect and her smile dazzling, Emily was rather glad that the boys were at the museum, though she wished she were with them instead. Honestly, she preferred fighting than sitting here drinking tea with Aphrodite.

"Oh, my sweet girls, I do love Charleston! The weddings I've attended in this gazebo - they bring tears to my eyes. And the elegant balls in the days of the Old South. Ah, they were lovely. Many of these mansions still have statues of me in their gardens, though they called me Venus."

"Which are you? Venus or Aphrodite?" Aphrodite sipped her tea and her eyes sparkled with mischief. Emily spoke.

"I don't think that really matters, Annabeth." Before Annabeth said anything that Aphrodite spoke and she seem to not pay attention to what Emily said.

"Annabeth Chase, you've grown into quite a beautiful young lady. You really should do something with your hair, though. Emily, you really should wear make up." Emily rolled her eyes when Aphrodite said that, like that would ever happen, the only time she ever wore make up was at Steve's wedding as well as her own. "And, Hazel Levesque, your clothes - "

"My clothes?" Hazel looked down at her rumpled denim, confused, as if she couldn't imagine what was wrong with them.

"Mother! You're embarrassing me."

"Well, I don't see why, Just because you don't appreciate my fashion tips, Piper, doesn't mean the others won't. I could do a quick makeover for Emily, Annabeth and Hazel, perhaps silk ball gowns like mine - "

"Mother!"

"Fine, To answer your question, Annabeth, I am both Aphrodite and Venus. Unlike many of my fellow Olympians, I changed hardly at all from one age to the other. In fact, I like to think I haven't aged a bit! Love is love, after all, whether you're Greek or Roman. This civil war won't affect me as much as it will the others." Emily knew this already, there were only a few gods or goddess that were not affected by what was happening, even Emily's own mother was being affected. Hazel was nibbling on a sugar cookie.

"We're not in a war yet, my lady." Aphrodite folded her fan.

"Oh, dear Hazel. Such optimism, yet you have heartrending days ahead of you. Of course war is coming. Love and war always go together. They are the peaks of human emotion! Evil and good, beauty and ugliness." Aphrodite smiled at Annabeth, Emily hadn't touched the tea or anything, not because it wasn't good. It was just that she didn't want any of it right than, Hazel set down her sugar cookie.

"What do you mean, heartrending days?" Aphrodite laughed when Hazel said this.

"Well, Annabeth and Emily could give you some idea. I once promised to make Annabeth's love life interesting. And didn't I? However I never made that promise to Emily since we never spoke before now." Emily glared at Aphrodite. Emily never spoke to Aphrodite before now but saw her from time to time when she went up to the winter solstice with her father and sister. Emily only ever loved one man, Bucky, for about sixty eight years she thought he was lost to her. Even though her love never died for him, he returned only to be the winter soldier, she still remembered that day she she saw him standing in the way of their efforts to stop HYDRA. Emily was so turned up inside, Emily was almost sure that Aphrodite had a part in playing hat Bucky could remember her and nothing else.

"Interesting is a mild way of putting it."

"Well, I can't take credit for all your troubles. But I do love twists and turns in a love story. Oh, all of you are such excellent stories - I mean, girls. You do me proud!"

"To you maybe." Aphrodite looked over at Emily when she said that. Aphrodite noticed Emily hadn't touched anything on her plate or her tea.

"Why haven't you eaten or drink?"

"I am neither hungry or thirsty. Did you by any chance have Bucky remember me when he become the winter soldier?"

"That wasn't my doing, dear. My doing was when you first meet him before your father died as well as help form the demigod project that you were leading so you two would meet back up again. You and Bucky share a special bond, one that can't be broken. You and Bucky are among the few that have the true love bond, Steve and Lauren are among those few as well. I believe it is because of that bond between you and Bucky is the reason he remembered you when he remembered nothing else. When you two first meet, I was just thinking of just the teenager years. But when your friendship started to take shape the year after that I saw that you two had that bond. Not even I could tear you two apart from each other even in death. I just help so you tow could meet bakx up."

"What the Helicarrier, the time Bucky was there fighting with Steve without his memories of Steve? Was that your doing?"

"I will admit that at first I had no idea that Bucky was the winter soldier till Steve pulled that mask off. When I saw his face I knew who he was. So I decided help shape you two meet again. But I didn't expect it to be there though. But there is still some trails ahead of you in hat area through, so of it which I won't be part of but you will be tested though." Emily was about ready to question her but Piper spoke.

"Mother, is there a reason you're here?"

"Hmm? Oh, you mean besides the tea? I often come here. I love the view, the food, the atmosphere - you can just smell the romance and heartbreak in the air, can't you? Centuries of it." Aphrodite pointed to a new rube mansion.

"Do you see that rooftop balcony? We had a party there the night the American Civil War began. The shelling of Fort Sumter."

"That's it. The island in the harbor. That's where the first fighting of the Civil War happened. The Confederates shelled the Union troops and took the fort."

"Oh, such a party! A string quartet, and all the men in their elegant new officers' uniforms. The women's dresses - you should've seen them! I danced with Ares - or was he Mars? I'm afraid I was a little giddy. And the beautiful bursts of light across the harbor, the roar of the cannons giving the men an excuse to put their arms around their frightened sweethearts!" Annabeth wasn't eating anything either, of which Emily was glad of.

"You're talking about the beginning of the bloodiest war in U.S. history. Over six hundred thousand people died - more Americans than in World War One and World War Two combined."

"And the refreshments! Ah, they were divine. General Beauregard himself made an appearance. He was such a scoundrel. He was on his second wife, then, but you should have seen the way he looked at Lisbeth Cooper - "

"Mother!" Piper tossed her scone to the pigeons.

"Yes, sorry. To make the story short, I'm here to help you, girls. I doubt you'll be seeing Hera much. Your little quest has hardly made her welcome in the throne room. And the other gods are rather indisposed, as you know, torn between their Roman and Greek sides. Some more than others. I suppose you've told your friends about your falling-out with your mother?" Emily looked over at Annabeth, Emily had a feeling at some point Annabeth meet her mother before this question.

"Falling-out?"

"An argument. It's nothing."

"Nothing! Well, I don't know about that. Athena was the most Greek of all goddesses. The patron of Athens, after all. When the Romans took over...oh, they adopted Athena after a fashion. She became Minerva, the goddess of crafts and cleverness. But the Romans had other war gods who were more to their taste, more reliably Roman - like Bellona - "

"Reyna's mom."

"Yes, indeed, I had a lovely talk with Reyna a while back, right here in the park. And the Romans had Mars, of course. And later, there was Mithras - not even properly Greek or Roman, but the legionnaires were crazy about his cult. I always found him crass and terribly nouveau dieu, personally. At any rate, the Romans quite sidelined poor Athena. They took away most of her military importance. The Greeks never forgave the Romans for that insult. Neither did Athena."

"The Mark of Athena, It leads to the statue, doesn't it?"

"You are clever, like your mother. Understand, though, your siblings, the children of Athena, have been searching for centuries. None has succeeded in recovering the statue. In the meantime, they've been keeping alive the Greek feud with the Romans. Every civil war...so much bloodshed and heartbreak...has been orchestrated largely by Athena's children."

"That's..." Emily knew what Annabeth was going to say, Emily had meet Athena in her roman form before. It was not pleasant, Emily felt awful of what the Romans did to her.

"Romantic? Yes, I supposed it is."

"But... The Mark of Athena, how does it work? Is it a series of clues, or a trail set by Athena - "

"Hmm. I couldn't say. I don't believe Athena created the Mark consciously. If she knew where her statue was, she'd simply tell you where to find it. No...I'd guess the Mark is more like a spiritual trail of bread crumbs. It's a connection between the statue and the children of the goddess. The statue wants to be found, you see, but it can only be freed by the most worthy."

"And for thousands of years, no one has managed."

"Hold on, What statue are we talking about?" Emily looked at Piper, than it seems that Piper realized which statue it was. However Aphrodite laughed.

"Oh, I'm sure Annabeth can fill you in. At any rate, the clue you need is close by: a map of sorts, left by the children of Athena in 1861 - a remembrance that will start you on your path, once you reach Rome. But as you said, Annabeth Chase, no one has ever succeeded in following the Mark of Athena to its end. There you will face your worst fear - the fear of every child of Athena. And even if you survive, how will you use your reward? For war or for peace?" Emily watched Annabeth, Aphrodite was already confirming of what Emily told Annabeth already.

"This map, where is it?"

"Guys!" Hazel pointed to the sky. Emily looked up, above the palmetto trees were two large eagle shades, higher up was a flying chariot pulled by Pegasus. It seem that Aphrodite was paying no heed to the chariot for she was spreading butter on a muffin.

"Oh, the map is at Fort Sumter, of course." She pointed her butter knife toward the island across the harbor. "It looks like the Romans have arrived to cut you off. I'd get back to your ship in a hurry if I were you. Would you care for some tea cakes to go?"

They didn't bother to get anything, instead they just ran. Halfway across the dock three eagles descended in front of them, each deposited a roman commando in purple and denim with glittering armor, sword and shield. The eagles flew away, the roman in the middle raised his visor to reveal John. He was about ready to say something but stopped when Emily stepped forward. Emily grasp her poppy and it become her sword. Emily than spoke in Latin.

"John, listen well as well as the ones who followed here. From this point on, you are traitors and outlaws of Rome. You are forever curse to wander and never find a home or the Greek camp." As Emily spoke that the three Romans glowed blue in color, when the glow died that she heard the dying screech of the eagle shades and the armor and weapons had sprang off of them. John glared at her.

"We will fight those Greeks and finish them." Emily point her sword at him and spoke.

"Even if you found the camp, not only would you die but the roman legacy will die and there would be no point in that battle with what you are fighting for." Emily closed her fist before turning her palm down and opened it. Shadows and trees grabbed them and they ran over to the Argo II and climbed aboard. Emily knew that the outlaw curse was permeant but she had no idea if not being able to find Camp Halfblood was permeant. When they climbed aboard that Annabeth ran to the helm. But at the moment the curse was only on those three of who were released from the trees by one as well as the shadows.

"Piper, get below. Use the sink in the galley for an Iris-message. Warn Jason to get back here!" Piper nodded and raced off. Percy had climbed aboard as Piper ran off.

"Hazel, go find Coach Hedge and tell him to get his furry hindquarters on deck!"

"Right!"

"And Percy - you and I need to get this ship to Fort Sumter. Emily go and find Aubrey and Lauren." Emily ran down the stairs and went into Aubrey's cabin, when she was inside that she explained and they went on the deck. Just after they got on deck that Gleeson came pounding up the stairs with Hazel behind him.

"Where are they? Who do I kill?"

"No killing! Just defend the ship!"

"But they interrupted a Chuck Norris movie!"

"Got a message through to Jason. Kind of fuzzy, but he's already on his way. He should be - oh! There!" Soaring over the city, heading their direction was a giant bald eagle, unlike the golden roman eagles.

"Frank!" Leo and Phil were holding onto the eagle's feet, even from the ship, Emily could hear Leo screaming and cursing. Phil wasn't screaming through, emily knows Phil,had been in a worst spot than he was now. However Steve was holding Bucky's arm as Bucky and Jason flew. Emily knew that Bucky could fly but till now, Emily never saw him do it before.

"Never seen Jason fly before, He looks like a blond Superman."

"This isn't the time! Look, they're in trouble!" The roman flying chariot descended from a cloud and was diving straight toward them. Jason, Frank, and Bucky managed to veered out of the way. The charioteers fired their bows.

"I'll get 'em!" Emily reacted quickly, before Gleeson could shot that she used he shadows and pulled him away just in time. Emily used her protection powers and the chariot started to rock back and forth, Emily managed to guide the chariot to the Argo II. During the whole time she kept her grip on Gleeson, when the chariot lamed that the charioteers were surprised to see. She wondered why that was, she glared at them and they shrunk back.

"Why were you attacking us?" The charioteers looked at each other before one spoke.

"John said that you sent a message claiming that the Greeks were coming." Plainer had grabbed Gleeson when Emily pushed Gleeson over to her. Emily stepped towards them and spoke softly but it was loud to send shivers down their spine.

"Did he now. Don't you remember what I send before I left on the Argo II as well as what Thomas said. You, as well as the Romans who foolishly follow him are here by traitors and outlaws and no longer allowed in New Rome. So hear me gods, if you are willingly to remove the mark that make their Romans." As she said that, the marks on their forearms disappeared and she could feel a fair amount of Romans leaving the protection about fifty or so. "Let it be known that if you find Camp Halfblood that your training will fail." The charioteers looked shocked at this and they fly off on the chariot as Jason, Bucky, Steve, Leo and Frank landed on the deck. Emily looked at the island knowing Annabeth would have to go by herself.


	19. Chapter 19

It didn't take long for Annabeth to get the map, thankfully the romans seem to decided to stop following after the fort as well as learning of what happen to the chariot as well as to John and the two that were with him. The Romans did put up some fight till Emily was off the Argo II and glared at them and told them of what happen and told them off for listening to a complete and total idiot that was power hungry. But there had been a little of damage when Annabeth directed it to the fort to get to the map as well some damage from the Romans when they were fighting. All of them were standing on the deck and Annabeth was talking.

"Percy says he talked to a Nereid in Charleston Harbor!" Leo was the one that spoke up.

"Good for him!"

"The Nereid said we should seek help from Chiron's brothers."

"What does that mean? The Party Ponies?" Somehow, Emily didn't think it was the party ponies, that seem unlikely. Sure they could fight and everything but help on a quest, Emily doubted it.

"Not sure. But I've got coordinates. Can you input latitude and longitude in this thing?"

"I can input star charts and order you a smoothie, if you want. Of course I can do latitude and longitude!" Annabeth rattled the numbers off and Leo punched them in.

"That location is in the middle of the Atlantic. Do the Party Ponies have a yacht?" Emily spoke.

"No they don't. I think it might be the Ichthyocentaur." Leo stared at her. "Never mind, we need to get there."

"Just hold the ship together until we get farther from Charleston. Jason and Percy will keep up the winds!"

"Happy fun time!" Emily walked over to the risk and looked down as they sailed out to sea, as Emily stood there that she heard someone walk up behind her. She expected it to Bucky or maybe even Phil but than than the person spoke.

"So, are you comfortable up in the air or even in the water?" Emily looked over at Steve as he spoke.

"Meaning?" Steve looked over at her.

"You are a daughter of Hades."

"Adopted daughter of Hades, Steve. But I am fine in the air or in the water. Both of our uncles don't mind that I am in their domain. Poseidon had told,me the to am one of his favorite nieces. I will admit that Zeus wasn't thrilled when I was adopted by Hades but I wasn't a daughter of Hades by birth so it doesn't bother him as much." Emily looked over at Steve. "Are forgetting we are twins?" As they traveled across the sea that she was worried about Hazel of who looked like she was going to throw up. Emily knew that Hazel didn't like boats or traveling across the sea, she assumed part of it was because she was a daughter of Pluto. Emily was still at the rail, since than that Steve had went over to Lauren to talk and Bucky was with him.

"Valdez, Let me take the wheel. You've been steering for two hours." Emily looked over at Gleeson when he said that to Leo. That sounded odd to hear him speak in since a gentle tone.

"Two hours?"

"Yeah. Give me the wheel."

"Coach?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"I can't unclench my hands." Emily was close of laughing her head off, Leo should have known to move his fingers by now. Gleeson managed to pry Leo from the wheel, as Leo stepped away that it seemed like Leo might fall over but he didn't. "Just watch for monsters and be careful with the damaged stabilizer. And - "

"I've got it covered. Now, go away!" Leo walked over to his friends, Emily watched him as he staggered across the deck. Percy and Jason sat with their backs against the mast, it looked like they could go to sleep than and there. Hazel and Frank were just out of earshot, but it was clear that they were having an argument with each other. However, Emily noticed that Jennifer was watching Leo as he staggered across the deck and Emily smiled slightly. Emily could tell that Jennifer liked Leo, that Leo liked her as well but he seem to like Hazel as well. Emily wanted to smack him on the back of his head, Emily could understand the reasoning behind Hazel being confused but Leo wasn't helping Hazel very much by being Leo. Emily noticed the fighting had stopped when Hazel saw Leo. Frank was scowling.

"No sign of pursuit."

"Well considering that it seems the Romans didn't follow us, it is not a big surprise." Emily walked over as Frank spoke.

"Or land." Hazel looked a little green, Emily knew it was mostly from the ship, as Hazel spoke that Bucky walked over. There was nothing but ocean around them, sure she might have used a boat before and didn't get sea sick. But she felt nervous about being in the open sea without land, she felt lost since there was no land nearby. Emily figured that was partly because she was a daughter of Demeter and adopted daughter of Hades. Leo turned to Annabeth as Bucky stood next to her.

"Did you find the map you wanted?" Annabeth nodded, Emily looked at Annabeth and felt bad, Emily knew that Annabeth was tested in some way. It was clear that it was not a normal test for demigods, for she was shaken up.

"I'll have to study it, How far are we from those coordinates?"

"At top rowing speed, about an hour. Any idea what we're looking for?"

"No. Percy?" Percy raised his head, he didn't look to good.

"The Nereid said Chiron's brothers were there, and they'd want to hear about that aquarium in Atlanta. I don't know what she meant, but... She also warned me to be careful. Keto, the goddess at the aquarium: she's the mother of sea monsters. She might be stuck in Atlanta, but she can still send her children after us. The Nereid said we should expect an attack."

"Wonderful." Jason tried to stand, of which wasn't a good idea for he nearly fell over. Lucky for Jason that Piper was there to prevent Jason from falling over and he slid down the mast.

"Can we get the ship aloft? If we could fly - "

"That'd be great, Except Festus tells me the port aerial stabilizer got pulverized when the ship raked against the dock at Fort Sumter."

"We were in a hurry, since the Romans were chasing or at least were close of following us."

"And saving me is a very noble cause," Leo agreed. "I'm just saying, it'll take some time to fix. Until then, we're not flying anywhere." Percy flew his shoulders and winced.

"Fine with me. The sea is good."

"Speak for yourself. We need to go fast. We've burned another day, and Nico only has three more left." Hazel glanced at the evening sun of which was almost to the horizon.

"We can do it. We can make it to Rome in three days - assuming, you know, nothing unexpected happens." Frank grunted.

"Is there any good news?"

"Actually, yes. According to Festus, our flying table, Buford, made it back safely while we were in Charleston, so those eagles didn't get him. Unfortunately, he lost the laundry bag with your pants."

"Dang it!" But Percy doubled over and groaned.

"Did the world just turn upside down?" Jason pressed his hands to his head.

"Yeah, and it's spinning. Everything is yellow. Is it supposed to be yellow?" Emily leaned toward Bucky and whispered.

"Did anything happen at the museum other than those two summoning the wind and stirring up the sea?"

"Well, we were Chase by ghosts. Frank there didn't help at all. With Jennifer here and you and Hazel elsewhere, we couldn't do anything about the ghosts. I have no idea of why we didn't bring at least Jennifer for she has some control over the died." Than Piper spoke before Emily and Bucky said anything else.

"Summoning that storm really sapped your strength, You've got to rest."

"Frank, can you help us get the guys below deck?" Frank glanced at Leo.

"It's fine, man. Just try not to drop them on the way down the stairs." Steve and Lauren, as well as Jennifer, also went with the others down stairs, however Phil, Aubrey Bucky and Emily remained up on the deck. It seem that Goeeson singing didn't help Hazel very much.

"Ugh..." Hazel leaned over and hugged her sides. Emily wanted to hug her stomach but she stopped herself before she could.

"Don't lean over. Don't close your eyes. It makes the queasiness worse."

"It does? Do you get seasick too?"

"Not seasick. But cars make me nauseous, and..." Leo stopped himself. Emily,looked at Leo before looking at Bucky before he shrugged. Hazel straightened with difficultly.

"Cars? You can sail a ship or fly a dragon, but cars make you sick?"

"I know, right? I'm special that way. Look, keep your eyes on the horizon. That's a fixed point. It'll help." Hazel took a deep breath and stared into the distance. Emily was at least glad that she didn't get seasick. "Any better?"

"Maybe a little." There was a pause. "Frank didn't drop you on purpose. He's not like that. He's just a little clumsy sometimes."

"Oops. Dropped Leo into a squad of enemy soldiers. Dang it!" Emily rolled her eyes when Leo said that, as Leo and Hazel spoke that Phil and Aubrey walked over to Emily and Bucky.

"Go easy on him. You and your fireballs make Frank nervous."

"The guy can turn into an elephant, and I make him nervous?" Hazel kept her eyes on the horizon.

"Leo, about what happened at the Great Salt Lake..." Emily wanted to say something but decided against it, Emily leaned against Bucky instead. Emily tried to figure out if Leo was related to Sammy but it was difficult since she never meet Sammy in person. Than Leo pulled out a fortune cookie.

"I'd be willing, I could use the fortune cookie to find your brother." Hazel looked stunned, Emily wasn't surprised that Hazel was stun for Emily didn't expect that either.

"What? No! I mean...I'd never ask you to do that. Not after what Nemesis said about the horrible cost. We barely know each other!"

"So...that's not what you wanted to talk about? Uh, did you want to talk about the holding-hands-on-the-boulder moment? Because - " Hazel tanned herself, Emily smiled slightly, it seem that old habits died hard even if one comes back from the died.

"No! No, I was just thinking about the way you tricked Narcissus and those nymphs..."

"Oh, right. Seemed like a good idea at the time."

"You were amazing, I've been mulling it over, how much you reminded me of - "

"Sammy, I wish you'd tell me who he is."

"Who he was, I've been thinking...I might be able to show you."

"You mean like a photo?"

"No. There's a sort of flashback that happens to me. I haven't had one in a long time, and I've never tried to make one happen on purpose. But I shared one with Frank once, so I thought..." Hazel locked eyes with Leo, Emily wasn't sure if this would work.

"When you say flashback... What exactly are we talking about? Is it safe?" Hazel held out her hand.

"I wouldn't ask you to do this, but I'm sure it's important. It can't be a coincidence we met. If this works, maybe we can finally understand how we're connected." Leo glanced at the helm.

"Okay, Show me." Hazel looked at Emily.

"Do you mind if you come as well." Emily looked at Phil, Aubrey and Bucky, this Bucky spoke.

"Can the three of us come as well." Hazel nodded. Emily gestured for them to go in a circle. Emily was on one side of Hazel while Bucky was on her other side and Leo was on Hazel's other side. It felt like the first time she fought with the avengers. When Emily and Leo took Hazel's hands that the world dissolved.

When the world come back that they stood in the courtyard of an old compound, it looked like a monastery. Red brick walls were overgrown with vines,big magnolia trees cracked the pavement and the sun was besting down. The humidity was like two hundred percent, so that it was rather sticky outside, the courtyard was about the size of a basketball court. A old deflated football sat in one corner at the base of a Virgin Mary statue, the windows were open on the building. There was movement in the building but it was rather quiet, as Emily,looked around that it looked like it was in the 1940s.

"Where are we?"

"My old school, St. Agnes Academy for Colored Children and Indians."

"What kind of name - ?" Emily looked over at Leo when he yelped and saw the reason of why yelped, all of them were ghost like. A bell rang before anything else could be said.

"This is a memory, so no one will see us. Look, here we come."

"We?" From every door, children spilled into the courtyard, yelling and jostling each other. Most were African American with some Hispanic looking kids, some were as young as kindergartners. Some looked like they could be high school age, the girls were wearing dresses and buckled leather shoes and the boys were wearing white collared shirts and pants held up by suspenders. Many wore caps and some of them had lunch, though many didn't. Their clothes were clean but worn and faded, like they had been used too much for some of them had holes in their knees or shoes with heels coming apart. Some of the girls began to play jump rope with an old piece of clothesline, but no one paid any attention to any of the ghosts.

"Hazel, what year is this?" Hazel was about ready to say something but than the Hazel from the past stepped into the courtyard. Emily had her answer than and there, for Hazel was no more than eleven years old, Emily knows Hazel died in 1942 at age of thirteen. So this had to be when Emily was seventeen or eighteen and was still in camp. For this was about three years before America joined in the fighting in the world war that was happening. Past Hazel was wearing a dark dress so that Hazel stood out like a mourner at a wedding, she was gripping a a canvas lunch bad and moved along the wall as if she was trying hard not to be noticed but it didn't work out.

"Witch girl!" A boy lumbered towards the past Hazel, backing her into a corner. It was hard to tell, for sure, of old this boy was, he could have been fourteen or even nineteen. The boy was big and tall, he was quite easily the largest guy on the playground, he was wearing a dirty shirt, threadbare wool trousers and no shoes. Emily felt her anger rising but she knew she couldn't do anything, for this was a memory even if Emily was alive during is time. There was no way her past self couldn't have known about this, since she didn't found out till about five years later about the Romans. By that point Hazel was died, so there was nothing Emily could have done to help Hazel in her first life.

"That's Rufus." Emily could hear the distaste in Hazel's voice.

"Seriously? No way his name is Rufus."

"Come on." Hazel drifted towards the confrontation, everyone else followed. It felt odd to be floating instead of walking, Emily didn't think that they could touch each other till she felt Bucky taking her hand. Emily looked down before looking at Bucky, he merely smiled, Emily had a feeling they were able to hold hands because she was adopted by Hades. Than Emily turned back to past Hazel and Rufus as Rufus thrust out his hand,

"Lunch." Past Hazel didn't protest, she handed over her bag like this was normal. Emily wanted so badly to punch this kid senseless, even before she was adopted by hades she woudk have done it. That was one thing of many thing things she had in common with Steve that she didn't like bullies. In some ways that some do the Romans reminded her of bullies, she did her best by trying to get the bullies out of there as well as the power hungry people to make New armor better. For the most part it worked, but at times Emily had to be tough with the Romans to blow their bubble and stop being an idiot or a bully. A few of the older girls drifted over to watch the fun, one of them giggled at Rufus.

"You don't want to eat that. It's probably poison."

"You're right. Did your witch mom make this, Levesque?"

"She's not a witch." Rufus dropped the bat and stepped on it, smashing the contents under his bare heel,

"You can have it back. I want a diamond, though. I hear your momma can make those out of thin air. Gimme a diamond."

"I don't have diamonds. Go away." Rufus balled his fists, Emily knew what was going to happen, she wanted to stop this but this happen a long time ago. So there was nothing at none of them could do. But than another kid stumbled into the sunlight, Emily heard everyone else, but Bucky and herself, suck in their breath when they saw the boy standing there.

"You see?" It was Sammy, he was the same height as Leo and had the same nervous energy as Leo. He was tapping his fingers against his trousers, brushing at his white cotton shirt before adjusting the jockey cap on his hair. Sammy had the very same devilish smile that Leo has, it was odd to see two Leos even though she knows one was Sammy. Apparently Sammy was just scolded at by a teacher for he was holding a dunce cap. Some of the kids backed up when Sammy burst onto the scene, others nudged each other and ran toward him like they were expecting a show. Rufus was still trying to punk Hazel out of a diamond, oblivious to Sammy's arrival,

"Come on, girl. Give it!" Past Hazel pressed herself against he wall, suddenly the ground at her fee went snap. A perfect diamond, the size of a pistachio, glittered at her feet, Rufus saw the diamond.

"Ha!"

"No, please!" That was when Sammy strolled over, Emily wasn't sure what Sammy would do, but if Hazel was right with how much Leo was like Sammy, than she knows what Sammy would do now. Sammy put the too of the dunce cap to his mouth like a megaphone and yelled.

"CUT!" He said it with such authority that all the other kids froze for a moment, even Rufus straightened up and backed away in confusion.

"Hammy Sammy." Emily noticed that Leo shivered when one of the kids snickered. Sammy stormed up to Rufus with his dunce cap looking angry. He was waving hai free hand wildly at the other kids of who were gathering to watch.

"No, no, no!" Sammy turned to Hazel

"Miss Lamarr, your line is... Script! What is Hedy Lamarr's line?" One of the boys called out.

"'No, please, you villain!'"

"Thank you! Miss Lamarr, you're supposed to say, No, please, you villain! And you, Clark Gable - " the whole courtyard burst into laughter, even Emily and Bucky laugh. Expect for Hazel, no one else would really know who Clark Gable was, it was just a funny thought that Rufus could be Clark Gable.

"Mr. Gable - "

"No! Make him Gary Cooper." Emily and Bucky were close of falling to the floor laughing, it was almost like watching Leo when he entered Camp halfblood the first time all those months ago. Where he was waving at the hammer above his heard that made him look like he was on fire. Rufus balled his fist like he wanted to hit somebody but couldn't do it, it was clear that he didn't like being laughed at.

"Right!mMr. Cooper, you say, Oh, but the diamond is mine, my treacherous darling! And then you scoop up the diamond like this!"

"Sammy, no!" Sammy snatched up the stone and slipped it into his pocket in one smooth move, Emily felt panicked when that happen. She knows about Hazel's curse but Sammy didn't though, than Sammy wheeled on if us,

"I want emotion! I want the ladies in the audience swooning! Ladies, did Mr. Cooper make you swoon just now?"

"No." It was many of the girls who said that.

"There, you see? Now, from the top! Action!" The last part Sammy yelled into the cap, Rufus seem to be getting over his confusion, he stepped towards Sammy.

"Valdez, I'm gonna - " The ball rang, kids swarmed the doors, Sammy pulled Hazel out of the way as the little ones herded Rufus along with her so he was carried inside on a tide of kindergartners. Soon Sammy and Hazel were along expect for the ghosts. Sammy scooped up Hazel's bag and dusted it off before presented it to Hazel with a deep bow.

"Miss Lamarr." Past Hazel took her ruined lunch, she looked like she was going to cry.

"Sammy...Rufus is going to kill you."

"Ah, he knows better than to tangle with me." Sammy put the dunce cap on top of his jockey cap. He stood up straight and stuck out his scrawny chest, than the dunce cap fell off. Emily shook her head, as past Hazel laughed, Sammy was too much like Leo in every way she could think of.

"You are ridiculous."

"Why, thank you, Miss Lamarr."

"You're welcome, my treacherous darling." Sammy's smiled wavered, the sir become awkward, it was like the extension between Hazel and Frank or even between emily and Bucky before they started dating. "You shouldn't have touched that diamond. It's dangerous."

"Ah, come for me!"

"Bad things might happen. You shouldn't - "

"I won't sell it. I promise! I'll just keep it as a token of your flavor." Past Hazel forced a smile

"I think you mean token of my favor."

"There you are! We should get going. It's time for our next scene: Hedy Lamarr nearly dies of boredom in English class." Sammy held out his elbow like a gentleman but Hazel pushed him away playfully.

"Thanks for being there, Sammy."

"Miss Lamarr, I will always be there for you!" The two of them raced back into the schoolhouse.

"Hazel," he said. "I - I don't - " Suddenly the school yard dissolved into a different scene, they were still but they were standing in front of a rundown house next to a drainage ditch overgrown with weeds. A clump of banana tres dropped in the yards perched on the steps was an old fashion radio playing do junto music. On the shades porch was a skinny old man gazing at the horizon, Emily tilted her head, this man looked familiar to her. Out of the corner of her eye that she noticed something in the shadows of the house, Emily looked towards it, it seems like everyone noticed it but the old man. When Emily looked over there that she let to of Bucky's hand and nearly screamed.

For standing in the shadows was a woman no older than twenty two, she has long wavy black hair that reached her waist. Her eyes were dark gleaming with madness and her skin was pale, Emily managed to choke back the scream as she stared at up her younger self or if that she could say. She was wearing her usual clothing so no matter which appearance she was in, her brown leather jacket that Bucky gave her, a blue shirt, dark jeans and tennis shoes. As Emily looked at her younger self that she realized something, something that she long forgotten. For she remembered Hera telling her to come here because there was a prophecy concerning a child that was here at this house.

"Where are we? This isn't from my life! Not only that but why is Emily here?" Emits didn't respond, she understood of who Sammy was to Leo, it makes sense of why Leo was so much like Sammy.

"It's Houston, I know this view. That drainage ditch...This is my mom's old neighborhood, where she grew up. Hobby Airport is over that way."

"This is your life? I don't understand! How - ?"

"You're asking me?" Suddenly Sammy spoke.

"Ah, Hazel..." Emily looked over at her younger self, her younger self was looking right at herself. She put her finger to her mouth before mouthing, I am still unsure about this, but you might understood this. Emily shivered slightly, it was almost like up her younger self knew she was there and her didn't it. Emily thought back as she did that she found this memory and thought about it in her mind's eye and realized she sense ghosts somewhere and could tell where they were but couldn't see them. Emily looked at Sammy as he spoke once more.

"I guess we ran out of time. Well..." Emily's heart broke in two, she understood what was happening now that fuzzy memory was there. Though emits was sure that the others had no idea of who this old man was as they watched him since he changed so much. His skin was leathery, his hair was curly white and gnarled hands like he spent his whole life working in a machine shop. He was wearing a pale yellow shirt with gray slacks, suspenders and polished black shoes, his eyes were sharp and clear, he sat with quiet dignity and looked at peace. He was using Norse code, Emily couldn't understand more code, but she was sure Leo could though. This the screen door opened, a young woman came out, she was wearing jeans and a turquoise blouse. Her hair was cut in a shirt black wedge,she was pretty but not delicate like she worked in a machine shop as well. Her brown eyes were much like Sammy's brown eyes and shone with the same gleam as Sammy's. In her arms was a baby wrapped in a blue blanket, Emily knew at once of who the baby was.

"Look, mijo. This is your bisabuelo. Bisabuelo, you want to hold him?" When the woman spoke that she knew Leo knew of who the baby was and who the woman was, for he started to sobbed. Sammy broke into a huge grin.

"A boy! Mi bebito, Leo!"

"Leo? That - that's you? What is bisabuelo?" It seem Leo couldn't find his voice but emily knew what a bisabuelo, so Emily spoke.

"A bisabuelo is Great Grandfather." It seem this that everyone realized of who this old man was and how Hazel and Leo were connected.

"Oh... Oh, Sammy, no..." Emily could hear the smallness of her voice and that she was on the verge of tears.

"Ah, little Leo. You'll have to be my stunt double, eh? That's what they call it, I think. Tell her for me. I hoped I would be alive, but, ay, the curse won't have it!" Hazel sobbed.

"Gaea...Gaea told me that he died of a heart attack, in the 1960s. But this isn't - this can't be..." Emily walked over to Hazel and hugged her, she knew that this must be painful for her as well as Leo. Sammy kept talking to baby Leo while his mother looked on with a pained smile, Emily figured that Leo's mother was concern for her grandfather. Sammy shook his head sadly.

"That lady, Dona Callida, she warned me. She said Hazel's great danger would not happen in my lifetime. But I promised I would be there for her. You will have to tell her I'm sorry, Leo. Help her if you can."

"Bisabeulo, you must be tired." She extended her arms to take baby Leo, but Sammy cuddled him a moment longer and baby Leo seem fine with it.

"Tell her I'm sorry I sold the diamond, eh? I broke my promise. When she disappeared in Alaska...ah, so long ago, I finally used that diamond, moved to Texas as I always dreamed. I started my machine shop. Started my family! It was a good life, but Hazel was right. The diamond came with a curse. I never saw her again."

"Oh, Sammy. No, a curse didn't keep me away. I wanted to come back. I died!" Emily held her closer, Emily could understand this too well. Bucky was taken away but unlike with Hazel and Sammy that they never died, even though for a time she thought Bucky was died. Sammy smiled down at baby Leo before kissing him on her forehead.m

"I give you my blessing, Leo. First male great-grandchild! I have a feeling you are special, like Hazel was. You are more than a regular baby, eh? You will carry on for me. You will see her someday. Tell her hello for me."

"Bisabuelo." Sammy chuckled.

"Yes, yes. El viejo loco rambles on. I am tired, Esperanza. You are right. But I'll rest soon. It's been a good life. Raise him well, nieta." Sammy handed Leo back to his mother before she went ask in the house, than Sammy turned to the shadows where Emily was standing in her daughter of Hades appearance. He spoke softly to where Emily was, though Emily had a feeling that he couldn't see her younger self like he could zit see the ghosts. Emily noticed that her younger self was looking at Sammy, almost like she expected this. "I know you are out there, I am not sure who you are but I am not sure what beings you here. But I know you related to Hazel in some way, so I must ask you, if you are there to look after her and Leo. Help them try to keep them safe from whatever awaits them." The younger Emily nodded and to Emily's surprise that she spoke.

"I will." Than the younger Emily disappeared from the shadows. The scene faded and they found themselves somewhere else. Emily let go of Hazel and looked around. This place looks familiar to her, but she couldn't place it. They were in some sort of clearing, as Emily looked around that Hazel spoke.

"Where are we now?" It was Emily who spoke.

"I think, this is from my memories." Just this she heard running and everyone turned to look where the running was coming from. Than a girl, no more than ten, ran into the clearing and tripped over a root and the Manitcore came out of the trees behind the girl. Emily grasp as she watched the girl turned around as the manticore roared at her. The girl was wearing tattered clothes that had bee ripped from running through the forest. Her long straight blond hair was tangled and dirty, her slightly tanned skin had dirt on it and she looked scared as she looked at the monster. But here was confusion in her eyes like what is this and why is it after her when she did nothing to it. Than the manticore screamed out in pain before it was turned into gold dust, the past Emily say up more properly. Standing where the monster had been was another ten year old girl, but she has long straight black hair, electric blue eyes, fist skin and she stood about the same height as the past Emily. She was holding a bronze sword of which she out back into the belt around her waist before walking to Emily and held out her hand for Emily to take. As past Emily took the hand that the past Lauren spoke.

"Hi, I am Lauren Huntington."

"I am Emily Rogers." There was grasp from the others when the past emily said that, Phil looked over at Emily before looking at the ten year old Emily before looking at Emily. Compared herself to her ten year old, that her younger self was more like Steve than she had been when she meet him after fourteen years of not seeing each other.

"That's you?"

"Yes that was me. And that is Lauren, my best friend and sister in law at ten." Than her younger self spoke.

"What was that?"

"A Manticore. I assume you are not fully aware about the demigods than?" Past Emily looked at past Lauren when she said that.

"Demigods, as in the Greek stories?"

"Yes, you must be a demigod otherwise the manticore wouldn't have gone after you. Do you know who your godly parent is?"

"No, do you know yours?"

"Yes, I am the daughter of Zeus. Come on, we better get a move on. There is a place close by that is safe from what I had been told but my guide had been killed since he found me but he told me where it was." Emily and Lauren ran as fast they could and the scene faded and changed. It was eleven years later, Emily would now since her past self and Steve were running through a forest, a forest that Emily never forget and never will. Bucky than spoke.

"Where are we?"

"Just follow, Steve and myself." So Emily, Bucky, Phil, Aubrey, Hazel ad Leo floated after Steve and herself. They went onto the HYDRA base, Emily and Steve kept out of sight, Emily, Phil, Aubrey, Bucky, Hazel and Leo didn't need to hid since no one could see them. After who knows of how long that Emily and Steve reached a walkway with the cells below, Emily and the others watched as past Steve and Emily knock out the guards. One of the prisoners from below talk.

"Who are you two supposed to be?"

"I'm... Captain America. She is is Lieutenant USA." Bucky looked at Emily as past Steve and last Emily walked down the stairs.

"That is how you become Lieutenant USA?" Before Emily could say anything that Phil spoke.

"That seems odd, are you sure that is how you become Lieutenant USA."

"Yes." Than her past self spoke.

"What did you call me?"

"Lieutenant USA." Emily and the others went down the stairs as past Steve and past Emily reached the cells and one of the other prisoners spoke.

"I beg your pardon?" Emit knew the voices but she she was paying much attention to which one was which when she reached the ground floor. This she saw Dum Dum looking at Jim.

"What, are we taking everybody?" Jim raised a card before he spoke.

"I'm from Fresno, Ace." Dum Dum looked at Emily and than at Steve.

"Are you two dating, if you are than so this a date?" When Dum Dum said that, that the last Emily and Steve looked at each other while, Emily slapped her hand on her face and spoke.

"Some things never change." As Emily expected, her past self spoke.

"No, he is my brother." Than Steve spoke

"Never mind about that, what about Bucky?" Bucky jerked his head to Steve when Steve said that, thins he looked at Emily of who removed her hand form her face.

"You went to the base to get me." Emily looked at him.

"Of course we did. I just barely found out earlier that day you were in the army. Besides, I wasn't going let Steve go by himself. Not only that but project Demigod and SSF were the ones fighting HYDRA at the time we went to get you." Than one of the others spoke.

"HYDRA had took Bucky in the back a month ago and we hadn't see him since." Emily and the others followed past Steve and Emily, as they ran that one of the other prisoners shouted at past Emily and Steve.

"Wait. You know what you're doing?"

"Yeah. I knocked out Adolf Hitler over 200 times."

"And I had fight over 200 HYDRA soldiers, not counting this time and make sure you get out of here." All eight of them kept running, though as far as past Emily and Steve were concern it was only two of them. They stopped when Zola had come out of a room and ran off in the other direction. Emily and the others followed the past Steve and Emily into the room, inside was Bucky laying on a table,Bucky was staring at himself in surprise.

"Did I really look like that?" He said that as Emily and Steve were undoing the knots.

"Yes, you looked like her at that time." As they undid the knots that past Steve spoke

"It's me. It's Steve." Emily grasp Bucky's hand as past Emily and Steve helped Bucky sit up. Past Bucky spoke groggily and he was looking at Steve.

"Steve?" It was past Emily who spoke.

"Not just Steve, but I am here to. It's Emily." Past Bucky looked at her and his eyes seem to widen a little bit and he spoke just as groggily as before.

"Emily, you are alive after fourteen years." Bucky snorted.

"I was not thinking clearly was I?"

"Not at that moment no. I don't think it was till the next day that you were thinking clearly." Emily glared at him and he blushed slightly, he knew what Emily meant by that since their awkward stage was about ready to start. As Emily and Bucky spoke that Emily and Steve managed to get past Bucky down from the there. He looked between the two of them of which was difficult with how dazed and dizzy past Bucky was.

"Come on."

"Steve."

"I thought you were dead." Past Bucky seem to notice Steve's new size.

"I thought you were smaller." Past Emily put one of past Bucky's arms over her shoulders and past Steve put Bucky's other arm over his shoulders. As they walked out of the room that they found Bucky in that Bucky had spoke once more. "What happened to you two?"

"I joined the army."

"I learned that i am a demigod."

"Demigod?"

"You know like Hercules or Theseus? Steve is one too but he doesn't know how to his powers." Emiky and the others followed past Emily, Steve and Bucky as Emily explained the godly world to Steve as well as explain the serum in Steve.

"Did it hurt?"

"A little."

"Is this permanent?"

"So far." They stopped when they reached the top of the stairs, Emily looked at the walkway across to the other side. The past Emily, Bucky and Steve walked towards it, Emily knew what was going to happen next. The elevator doors open on the other side and two men stepped out, one was Zola while the other one was the red skull with his face mask on. Emily and the others made their way to where Bucky and Emily stood as at the railing but Steve walked up to the red skull. The red skull spoke as he walked across the walkway.

"Captain America! How exciting! I'm a great fan of your films!" The red skull looked at Emily and Bucky, the past Emily glared at the red skull. Emily snorted the glare was sad compare to how her glare was now, to put out a good word, one she heard a lot in her lifetime, in front of it that the glare was that it was a puny glare. They watched the exchanged between the red skull and Steve till Zola pulled a level and the walkway started to separated. The red skull on one side and Steve on the other side, Steve and the red skull looked at each other as the red skull spoke.

"No matter what lies Erskine told you, you see, I was his greatest success!" Than the red skull took off his face, unlike last time, Emily didn't want to or feel the need to throw up, instead she wanted to punch him in the face. Past Bucky spoke up.

"You don't have one of those, do you?" Past Emily smiled slightly when Bucky said that but the one guy went on talking as he went to the elevator.

"You are deluded, Captain. You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind. Unlike you, I embrace it proudly. Without fear!"

"Than why are you running away." The red skull didn't respond and he closed the elevator doors. Emily and he others went down to the rail and got quickly across of which was no problem for them since they were floating. Past Bucky and Emily managed to cross the rail just in time, past Bucky had grasp Emily's hand just before she would have felled with the risk and pulled her up. Past Steve was still on the other side. "Go on get out of here." Emily knew that her past self wanted to shout out, but past Bucky spoke.

"I am not leaving you here." Past Steve backed up before he went running and jumped across. He barely managed to make it across, they made it out of the base before it blew up along with the other prisoners that they rescued. They stopped when they were far enough away, the eight often watched as the howling commandos cheered of what happened. As her past self out her arms around past Bucky's neck that Emily spoke.

"Paneer it comes!" Phil, Aubrey, Hazel and Leo looked at her strangely when she said that, but they looked back as past Bucky sound past Emily around a couple of times before setting past Emily down. Past Emily looked surprised of what past Bucky did next, past Bucky leaned forward and kissed her of which mad the cheering to up higher. Bucky had out his hands over his face as the others looked at him. This the scene faded and they were backs in the Argo II, they were still holding hands with each other. Emily looked at Hazel, despite the last two memories were not hers or Leo's memories but hers that her eye were puffy from crying. Leo was looking at Hazel and he spoke.

"Hello, Hazel Levesque." Hazel's chin was trembling, she turned away and opened her mouth to say something but the ship lurched to one side. Emily grasps hood of the railing.

"Leo!" Festus whirred in alarm and blew flames into the night sky, the ship's bell ran. Gleeson was shouting. "Those monsters you were worried about? One of 'em found us! Valdez, which button blows up monsters? Take the helm!"

Emily looked around trying to figure out where the monster was, Leo was climbing the tilting deck towards the helm. When Emily saw the monster surface, she couldn't move. She would admit that she sew a lot of things in her day even in World War II and he monsters she fought off during that time. But it was nothing compared to what she was looking at now and she was sure she would never be able to forget this monster. The monster was the length of their ship, in the moonlight it looked like a cross between a giant shrimp and a cockroach. It had a pink chitinous shell, a flat crayfish tail and millipede type legs, it looked like it could be the kraken. An it's head surface, it's pink face was slimy and pink and it looked like a catfish with glassy dead eyes, a gaping toothless maw, and. A forest of tentacles at routing from each nostril.

"Come on, Valdez! Take the wheel so I can get my baseball bat!"

"A bat's not going to help." The rest of the demigods stumbled up the stairs, it was Percy that spoke first.

"What's going - Gah! Shrimpzilla!" Frank ran to Hazel's side while Steve and Lauren ran to Bucky's and Emily's side. The monster rammed the ship again, Emily was close of falling over when it rammed into the ship. Emily was gripping on the railing as well as Steve, Bucky and Lauren, Phil and Aubrey were pulling themselves up on one of the rail shields.

"How did it get so close?"

"I don't know!"

"I'm stupid! Stupid, stupid! I forgot the sonar!" The ship tilted farther to starboard, Emily was sure that he monster was going to capsize them.

"Sonar? Pan's pipes, Valdez! Maybe if you hadn't been staring into Hazel's eyes, holding hands for so long - "

"What?"

"It wasn't like that!" It looked like Frank was about ready to say something when Emily shouted.

"Hazel took us into a flashback to show Leo of who Sammy was." Frank looked at Emily, he looked less hurt and angry, he nodded but he was still concerned and worried than Piper spoke up.

"It doesn't matter! Jason, can you call some lightning?" Jason was struggling to his feet.

"I - " Jains only managed to shake his head, it was clear with the storm he summoned just to make sure the Romans didn't follow them took a lot out of him.

"Percy! Can you talk to that thing? Do you know what it is?" Emily looked at Percy, she wasn't sure Piper didn't think of that. Percy shook his head, it was clear that he was mystified.

"Maybe it's just curious about the ship. Maybe - " the monster's tendrils lashed across the deck so fast that no one had time to shout out look out. One slammed Percy in the chest sent him crushing down the steps, another wrapped around Piper's legs and dragged her her towards the rail. Piper was screaming, dozen more tendrils curled around the masts encircling the crossbows and ripped down the rigging. One of them had grabbed Emily's ankle, but she grasp her poppy and slashed at it as it tried to drag her across the deck. After a few feet and slashes that the ten risk let to of her. Emily could hear Gleeson yelling.

"Nose-hair attack!" Gleeson snatched up his bat and leaped into action, it didn't do much good with his attacks. Jason drew his sword as well as the others in board, Emily and Bucky fought together as well as Phil and Aubrey and Steve and Lauren. It seem that the more tendrils they cut the more appeared, it was like HYDRA, no matter if it was the group she fought against in the war or the monster. Annabeth joined in and used her dagger as she ran through the forest of tentacles, dodging and stabbing at whatever target she could find. Frank was using his bow, of which wasn't a big surprise, though Emily knows that he could use other weapons besides the bow. The arrows that he used seem to annoy the monster, it bellowed and rocked the ship, the mast creaked like it might snap off. Emily could hear Leo, Hazel and Gleeson in the background.

"Hazel! That box! Open it!"

"Open it! Coach, take the wheel! Turn us toward the monster, or we'll capsize."

"Hope you got a plan!" he shouted.

"A bad one." The monster pushed against the ship, the deck lurched to forty five degrees, they were fighting for their lives, it was hard to fight back when more kept coming. During the process that Frank was knocked over board and Hazel screamed. Emily noticed that Leo and Hazel were holding some vials, but she didn't bother to take a good look at the vials to know what they were. Suddenly a tentacle grasp Leo and Hazel, Emily stopped for a moment as they rose up higher. It was that moment that another tentacle gripped Emily around her stomach and lifted her up like it did with Hazel and Leo. Emily was at least glad thaT her arms were not pinned down like Hazel's were or at least from what Emily could tell. She stabbed and slash at the tentacle, as she hit the monster one last time that it let to of her and she hit the water below.

It felt like she hit a brick wall or something, Emily kept going down and she was struggling to breath. She could feel her lungs burning as she struggled agains the currents, pressures and other things of the sea expect for the things that live under the sea. As Emily struggled and feel deeper that she felt a hand on her shoulder, than a strange but familiar face hovered in front of her. He looked like Chiron, he has the same curly hair, shaggy beard and intelligent eyes as Chiron. But something was off about him and she wasn't sure what it was at first. Than Emily saw him held up a dagger, Emily panicked slightly but the look he was giving her made her hold still. When the dagger touched her head that suddenly she could breath, Emily let go of her sword and it changed into her poppy and she looked at the thing in front of her.

When she looked at him that she realized of who it was, or sort of at least, she knew what he was at the very least. Swimming in front of her was an Ichthyocentaur, Emily heard and read about the Ichthyocentaur but she never meet or talk to one before. From the waist up, he was human just like a Centaur, expect for his blue skin and the lobster claws on his head. However he has the forelegs of a horse but his hind legs were actually a fish tail with a V-shaped tail fin. The Ichthyocentaur was rather large, he reminded Emily a bit of Arnold Schwarzenegger but with a fish till and horse legs. But his strong resemblance to Chiron kept her thinking from how much he looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Emily was sure if Arabella was here she would most likely have a panic attack. Unexpectedly, the Ichthyocentaur bowed to her, the last thin she expected was an Ichthyocentaur to bow her. Than he spoke in a calm and gentle voice.

"Princess Emily, we have long to meet you." Emily was surprised to be greeted like that, true she was the princess of the underworld and heir, but she never gave it much thought after she gain those titles. The only ones who give her titles were usually the furies or anything under the command of Hades, unless if there was something formal going on. Not only that but the avengers were unaware of her statues I the underworld or most of it anyway. They knew she helped in the underworld was adopted by hades but that was it. Not only that but she didn't even think that she would be known to anyone under the sea expect for Poseidon and the ones who help run his kingdom.

"You know me?"

"Yes, princess. We helped in World War II and we heard stories fomEmily a rogers of who become Rachel Blackthrone of who revealed herself to he world just over two years ago during the battle of the avengers and the aliens. Even through you never be to our camp, you are a one the many heroes that the Mer-people look up to. Come with me." Emily followed the Ichthyocentaur, as they swarm deeper down that Emily spoke.

"What is your name?"

"I am Aphros, princess."

"Aphros."

"Yes, princess."

"You can call me Emily, you don't need to me Princess or anything like that." Aphros had looked back at her in surprise, Emily shrugged. "I know I am the princess of the underworld and a hero in World War II and all that, in many ways I see myself as Emily, dust her of Demeter." Aphros raised an eyebrow when emily side that. "I am odd like that, I wasn't born a child of Hades or as the one to rule the underworld. That thought never occurred to me till when Hades made that offer to me."

"I can understand your reasoning, princess. But as for Camp -." Emily could only stare at him when he said the name of this camp, of where he was apparently leading her to.

"Aphros, I can't pronounce that. I never heard of that camp before. Do you mind if I call it Camp Fishblood."

"Since you can't say the name, I guess you can't pronounce the camp's name, Camp Fihsblood. Well, I am surprised you haven't since we trained many Mer-heroes." Emily looked at him when he said that. She had struggle across a couple of stories in her reading about some of the merpeople but there were not very many stories."

"I think I hears some stories of Mer-heroes but there are not many though. Like Triton and I believe it is Glaucus, I think that is how you say it." Aphros nodded when she said that.

"How much have you heard?"

"Not much really, there small stories I read when I was looking thought the different stories and heard them up in camp. I also looked through other stories and myths of other gods besides the Romans and Greeks. I am not even sure of how accurate the information is though."

"That is quite all right, you heard enough. Come on I am sure the Mer-People would like to meet you."

They started swimming once more till finally she could see lights of some kind and when they were closer to the lights that Emily grasp and stopped swimming. Below them was an entire town of Greek style buildings, on the sea floor no less, the roofs were tiled with mother of pearl. The gardens were filled with coral and sea anemones, hippocampus grazed in a field of seaweed. A team of Cyclopes was placing the domed roof on a new temple using a blue whale as a frame. Swimming through the streets, hanging out in courtyards, practicing combat with tridents and swords in the arena were mermen and mermaids. Emily heard stories of the Mer-people but she never saw one up close before or even this close. They looked fierce and not at all human, their eyes glowed yellow. Their teeth were sharpie and their skin were leathery and in different colors ranging from corps red to ink black.

Emily managed to keep forward as she neared the town with Aphros that the Mer-people stopped and looked up. They all pointed and looked up in awe, when they reached the town that Emily shifted her position so that her feet were to the ground. She had lowered herself so that her feet were touching the ground, it felt nice to being able to touch the ground even if she was under water. The Mer-people gathered around her talking excitedly, one of them moved forward and the merman bowed and the rest followed suit. Emily looked at the merman, he had a warriors build, not the build that Aphros had but more like the kind she usually saw in the Roman or Greek camps. He had a trident and a sword stripped to his back, he had green leathery skin, his eyes were glowing a yellowish greenish color, and his hair was a similar color to his skin. But hai hair went past his shoulders and over his torso was old Greek armor or at least the breastplate.

"Your highness, it's a honor for us that you graced us with your presence." When the merman said that, that Emily was close of groaning. She got use to hear in lady Emily or my lady form the furies, but they never called her princess or your highness. It was rather unnerving, sure the demigods know her status of princess but they never address her as such she never acted like a princess and she doesn't intend to. Emily was used to being called Ambassador from the Romans, she had about seventy years to get use to it.

"Thank you. This is the first time I ever been down here. I was unaware about this place till now. Who are you?"

"I am Bill, your highness." When he lifted himself from the bow as well as the other Mer-people that he look in his eyes made Emily feel even more unnerved. Emily got the feeling that this merman has a big crush on her. Before emily could say anything that Aphros spoke.

"Bill, take Princess Emily to one of the quarters while I check on our other guests." Emily looked at Aphros when he said that.

"Other guests?"

"Yes, Princess. Four from the quest you have been helping with, even if you are not one of the eight, are down here." Emily sighed in relief, she knew Frank was all right, but she wasn't sure who the other two were.

"One of them is Frank, who are the other two."

"Two is your half sister Hazel and Jennifer, the other is Leo." Emily panicked slightly, Emily knows she was safe in the water, mainly because of her uncle but she wasn't as sure about her two half sisters. Before she could question Aphros any more that he swam away while Bill placed a hand on her shoulder and lead end to one of the houses. When they reached the house that Bill opened the door for her, she looked at him, since in the 1940s. That was expected but Emily changed with the times for the most part, Emily wanted to say something but decided against it and we inside. Emily was stunned of what she saw the inside, it was mostly made of mother of pearls but there other things there including the floor being a garden. Emily knelt down and touched one of the plants, she stood up and she used her Demeter powers. Sure enough the sea plant grew undue here touch, Emily never tried that before with the sea plants before.

"I had no idea that you could do that with sea plants." Emily jumped, of which caused the sea plant to grow back to how it was, and turned. It was Bill, he followed her inside the house, she didn't expect that, she thought he would leave when she entered the house.

"Neither did I." Emily wasn't sure what to say, but it seem Bill did.

"I am curious, do you know the ways to a merperson?" Emily raised an eyebrow when he said that.

"Not really, I heard some stories about the merpeople but not a lot. Why do you ask, I mean, it's not like I am going to be trained here since I am already trained. I am not a mermaid either. Besides I have a life up above the sea."

"I ask because well, I always had the biggest crush on you." Emily raised an eyebrow when he said that. Emily guess that from earlier. "I was hoping when I meet you that you stay down here and become my mate." Emily shook her head when bio said that.

"Bill, I can't do that. I don't belong here. I may visit again but live here no. Like I said I have a life above, besides. As you put it, I already have a mate." Emily held up the hand with her engagement ring and wedding ring. "See this, that is the symbol of uniting two people from my world." Bill looked down trodden when Emily said that. "But I wouldn't mind be friends at least." Bill smiled when she said that.

"I believe I would be fine with that." Just than a merman spoke from the outside.

"Bill, come on. We need to go to the arena." Bill seem slightly surprised.

"I forget, I will see you again, Princess." Before Emily could say or do anything that Bill left the house. Emily spent the whole night there, she couldn't sleep for there was too much in her mind, for she couldn't help but worry about the other four. Not only that but the others above must be worried about them, she knows Bucky, Steve, Lauren and Phil would be the ones that would be the most worried about Emily. When morning arrived that Bill came to get her, when he greeted her that they went to where Leo, Hazel and Jennifer were. As they went through the camp that they got stopped many times and she was asked if Bucky and Steve had mates. It was all the mermaids that asked those questions and Emily told them yes, thankfully she didn't have to answer that question about herself or Lauren. Emily wasn't sure if they knew about Lauren but she had a feeling Bill told the mermen that Emily was off limits. Of which Emily was glad of but the mermen did tell her visit the camp sometime. When Emily saw them that it seem like that Leo and Hazel seem past that odd stage and seem to become friends. But it seem that Leo and Jennifer were flirting, since Jennifer was blushing like crazy or at least as close to blushing as one can get when one was under the sea. When they saw Emily that they looked happy to see her, before they could say a thing that a new voice of which made Leo flinched.

"There you are!" Another Ichthyocentaur was swimming with Aphros with Frank between them, he looked pale but looked fine otherwise. "You are free to go." The second Ichthyocentaur gave their supplies back to the four of them, expect Emily since she had her things. As Leo put his tool belt around his waist that the second Ichthyocentaur looked at Emily and bowed like the merpeople and Aphrodite's had. "Greetings princess. I am sorry I didn't get to meet you yesterday. I am Bythos." The second Ichthyocentaur was smaller and was green instead of blue. Emily put her hand on her face and spoke.

"Doesn't anyone around here that doesn't address me as princess or your highness."

"I can't think of any that doesn't refer to you as such. However." Aphros looked between the five of them before going on. "Tell Percy Jackson not to worry. We have understood your story about the imprisoned sea creatures in Atlanta. Keto and Phorcys must be stopped. We will send a quest of mer-heroes to defeat them and free their captives. Perhaps Cyrus?"

"Or Bill."

"Yes! Bill would be perfect." Aphros turned to Bill. "Do you mind if you lad the quest?"

"I will be glad to." Bill swarm away and Aphros went on.

"At any rate, we are grateful that Percy brought this to our attention."

"You should talk to him in person, I mean, son of Poseidon, and all." Both Ichthyocentaur shook their heads when Leo said that.

"Sometimes it is best not to interact with Poseidon's brood. We are friendly with the sea god, of course; but the politics of undersea deities is...complicated. And we value our independence. Nevertheless, tell Percy thank you. We will do what we can to speed you safely across the Atlantic without further interference from Keto's monsters, but be warned: in the ancient sea, the Mare Nostrum, more dangers await."

"Naturally." Bythos clapped Frank on the shoulder.

"You will be fine, Frank Zhang. Keep practicing those sea life transformations. The koi fish is good, but try for a Portuguese man-of-war. Remember what I showed you. It's all in the breathing." Frank looked embarrassed, Emily tried her best of trying not laughing.

"And you, Hazel, as well as Emily and Jennifer, come visit again, and bring that horse of yours! I know you are concerned about the time you lost, spending the night in our realm. You are worried about your brother, Nico as well as your sister, Arabella ..." Hazel gripped her sword.

"Is he - do you know where they is?"

"Not exactly. But when you get closer, you should be able to sense his presence. Never fear! You must reach Rome the day after tomorrow if you are to save him, but there is still time. And you must save him."

"Yes. He will be essential for your journey. I am not sure how, but I sense it is true."

"As for you, Leo Valdez, stay close to Jennifer, Hazel and Frank when you reach Rome. I sense they will face...ah, mechanical difficulties that only you can overcome."

"Mechanical difficulties?"

"And I have gifts for you, the brave navigator of the Argo II!"

"I like to think of myself as captain. Or supreme commander."

"Brownies!" Emily nearly burst into laughter when Aphros said that, partly because of how proudly he sounded and partly because she has an image in her mind of Chiron saying it the same way. Aphros shoved an old fashioned picnic basket into Leo's arms and it was surrounded by a bubble of air. "In this basket you will also find the recipe. Not too much butter! That's the trick. And I've given you a letter of introduction to Tiberinus, the god of the Tiber River. Once you reach Rome, your friend the daughter of Athena will need this."

"Annabeth... Okay, but why?"

"She follows the Mark of Athena, doesn't she? Tiberinus can guide her in this quest. He's an ancient, proud god who can be...difficult; but letters of introduction are everything to Roman spirits. This will convince Tiberinus to help her. Hopefully."

"Hopefully." Bythos produced five small pink pearls from his saddlebags, he threw a pearl at each of them in turn as he spoke.

"And now, off with you, demigods! Good sailing!" Five shimmering pink bubbles of energy formed around them. They began to rise through the water, they started to gain speed and rocketed toward the distant glow of the sun.


	20. Chapter 20

Bucky's pov

To say that Bucky was worried, would be an understatement. He would admit that he was worried about Emily in World War II, however back this she wasn't his wife nor was she carrying their child. However only Bucky, Emily, Lauren and Phil knows about that fact, Lauren only knows because she was talking to Emily and Lauren figured out that she was pregnant and wanted to ask Emily if she should tell the others. Piper and Annabeth sent a warning to Chiron about what happened at Fort Sumter as well as telling him that there is a chance that a third of the Romans may try to attack Camp Halfblood if they hadn't heeded Emily's words. Of which makes it about fifty or so Romans, thankfully most of the legion stayed at Camp Jupiter. Chiron said he would see to the Camp's defenses if the Romans managed to find them.

After that, there was nothing to do but pace the deck in silence staring at the water hoping for a miracle. Emily, Hazel, Jennifer, Leo and Frank were under the water all night, he was beginning to get worried by the minute. So was Phil, Aubrey, Steve and Lauren, after himself, he wasn't sure which one was the most worried about Emily and what could have to Emily. Finally a miracle happened as five giant pink bubbles burst at the surface of the starboard bow and ejecting Emily, Jennifer, Hazel, Leo and Frank. Bucky was glad nothing happened to Emily, he would have jumped in but he stopped himself when Piper dove in and swam to Leo and kissed Leo on the cheek.

"Miss me?" Suddenly, Piper was furious.

"Where were you? How are you guys alive?"

"Long story." A picnic basket bobbed to the surface next to him. "Want a brownie?" Emily was the last one to get on board, before she could changed into dry clothes that he went over to her and hugged her. He didn't care about the fact he would get wet from how wet Emily was, all he cared about was that she was still alive. When he hugged her that she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Missed me?"

"I was worried, I can understand of what you and Steve felt when I fell off the train." Emily smiled slightly when Bucky said that.

Emily's pov

When Bucky let go of her that she changed into dry clothes, Frank borrowed a pair form Jason of which were too small for Frank. Thankfully Emily managed to fix that by changing the pants some so that the pants would fit him. Sure it was a child of Aphrodite ability but when it comes to something like his that Emily could adjust things to make someone more comfortable like they were at home. The crew gathered on the quarterdeck for a celebratory breakfast, expect for Gleeson of who grumbled that the atmosphere was getting to cuddly for his tastes. So he went below to hammer out some dents in the hull, Emily felt that Gleeson had a different reason of going down below but she couldn't figure out what though. While Leo was fussing over his helm controls that Hazel, Frank, Emily and Jennifer related the story of the Ichthyocentaur and their training camp. Emily had left out the part about the mates with the merpeople, the last thing she wanted was Bucky asking if the mermen tried anything with her. Jason was the first one to comment after they finish their story.

"Incredible. These are really good brownies." Emily rolled her eyes when Jason said that, Jason always seem to like brownies for some reason. Piper spoke up

"That's your only comment?" Jason looked surprised when Piper said that.

"What? I heard the story. Fish-centaurs. Merpeople. Letter of intro to the Tiber River god. Got it. But these brownies - " Frank spoke with his mouth full.

"I know. Try them with Esther's peach preserves."

"That is incredibly disgusting." Emily couldn't agree more with Hazel's statement.

"Pass me the jar, man." Hazel and Piper exchanges looks of total exasperation, it seem like boys never change. Percy wanted to hear every detail about the aquatic camp, he kept going back to one point.

"They didn't want to meet me?"

"It wasn't that. Just...undersea politics, I guess. The merpeople are territorial. The good news is they're taking care of that aquarium in Atlanta. And they'll help protect the Argo II as we cross the Atlantic."

"But they didn't want to meet me?" Annabeth swatted Percy's arm,

"Come on, Seaweed Brain! We've got other things to worry about."

"I know the camp would like Hazel, Jennifer and myself to visit at some point. We could ask them than to at least let you visit once just to see what is like." Hazel nodded when Emily said that before she spoke.

"Annabeth's right. After today, Nico and Arabella has less than two days. The fish-centaurs said we have to rescue him. He's essential to the quest somehow." Hazel looked around defensively as if waiting for someone to argue, but no one did.m

"Nico must have information about the Doors of Death.,We'll save him, Hazel. We can make it in time. Right, Leo?" Leo tore his eyes away from the controls.

"What? Oh, yeah. We should reach the Mediterranean tomorrow morning. Then spend the rest of that day sailing to Rome, or flying, if I can get the stabilizer fixed by then..." Jason looked as though his brownie with peach preserves didn't taste as good anymore.

"Which will put us in Rome on the last possible day for Nico and Arabelle. Twenty-four hours to find them - at most."

"And that's only part of the problem. There's the Mark of Athena, too." Annabeth didn't seem to happy about this change in topic, Annabeth had her bag with her and she brought a thin bronze disk the diameter of a donut.

"This is the map that I found at Fort Sumter. It's..." Annabeth stopped and stared at the smooth bronze surface, "It's blank!"Percy took it and looked both sides.

"It wasn't like this earlier?"

"No! I was looking at it in my cabin and... It must be like the Mark of Athena. I can only see it when I'm alone. It won't show itself to other demigods." Frank scooted back like the disk might exploded.

"What did it have on it? And what is the Mark of Athena? I still don't get it." Annabeth took the disk back from Percy, she turned it in the sunlight but it remained blank. Emily took the disk from her as she spoke.

"The map was hard to read, but it showed a spot on the Tiber River in Rome. I think that's where my quest starts...the path I've got to take to follow the Mark."

"Maybe that's where you meet the river god Tiberinus. But what is the Mark?"

"The coin."

"What coin?" Emily put the disk down as Annabeth dug into her pocket and brought out a silver drachma.

"I've been carrying this ever since I saw my mom at Grand Central. It's an Athenian coin." Annabeth passed it around.

"An owl.,Well, that makes sense. I guess the branch is an olive branch? But what's this inscription, ΑΘΕ - Area Of Effect?"

"It's alpha, theta, epsilon. In Greek it stands for Of The Athenians...or you could read it as the children of Athena. It's sort of the Athenian motto."

"Like SPQR for the Romans."

"Anyway, the Mark of Athena is an owl, just like that one. It appears in fiery red. I've seen it in my dreams. Then twice at Fort Sumter." Annabeth told them of what happen at the fort as Emily took the coin from Bucky and looked at it. Emily looked at the coin and listened, it was clear that it wasn't easy for Annabeth to talk about. The quest for the statue and the mark of Athena were never easy for a child of Athena. Percy took Annabeth's hand.

"I should have been there for you."

"But that's the point. No one can be there for me. When I get to Rome, I'll have to strike out on my own. Otherwise, the Mark won't appear. I'll have to follow it to...to the source."

"The giants' bane stands gold and pale, Won with pain from a woven jail. What is it...this thing at the source?" Emily spoke before Annabeth or Jason spoke.

"You already know, it is that statue I told you earlier, the one that caused the rift between the Romans and the Greeks. However in the praetor legends, it wasn't known as a statue. It only did it was an artifact, Jason knows about this, like I said earlier." Piper frowned and looked at Jason.

"You said you didn't know."

"I don't or at least not fully aware of it. But the more I think about it...there's only one artifact that could fit the legend. I'm sorry. I should have told you everything I've heard, much earlier. But honestly, I was scared. If this legend is true - " As Jason spoke that he turned to Annabeth.

"I know. I figured it out, Jason. I don't blame you. But if we manage to save the statue, Greek and Romans together...Don't you see? It could heal the rift."

"Hold on. What statue?" Emily gave the coin back and she put it in her pocket,

"Like Emily said earlier it is The Athena Parthenos, the most famous Greek statue of all time. It was forty feet tall, covered in ivory and gold. It stood in the middle of the Parthenon in Athens." The ship went silent than Leo spoke.

"Okay, I'll bite. What happened to it?"

"It disappeared."

"How does a forty-foot-tall statue in the middle of the Parthenon just disappear?"

"That's a good question. It's one of the biggest mysteries in history. Some people thought the statue was melted down for its gold, or destroyed by invaders. Athens was sacked a number of times. Some thought the statue was carried off - "

"By Romans. At least, that's one theory, and it fits the legend I heard at Camp Jupiter. To break the Greeks' spirit, the Romans carted off the Athena Parthenos when they took over the city of Athens. They hid it in an underground shrine in Rome. The Roman demigods swore it would never see the light of day. They literally stole Athena, so she could no longer be the symbol of Greek military power. She became Minerva, a much tamer goddess."

"And the children of Athena have been searching for the statue ever since. Most don't know about the legend, but in each generation, a few are chosen by the goddess. They're given a coin like mine. They follow the Mark of Athena...a kind of magical trail that links them to the statue...hoping to find the resting place of the Athena Parthenos and get the statue back." Emily looked at Annabeth and Jason, Emily knows that Jason and Annabeth never trusted each other or not fully. Emily felt that was partly because of what happened a few mons ago with Annabeth and her mother. But it could be that rift between the Greeks and Romans, among other things, Emily was glad that they were trusting each other a little more. Than Emily spoke.

"That is why it took me so long to learn about this theory and from what I figure out and what I told you already that I believe of what happened to the statue is the theory of the Romans taken it. For why else would Minvera give Annabeth the coin to find something hidden that she couldn't find. Why else would Minvera be like she is now? Most of all, why would she even want revenge on the Romans if it is not her style to take revenge on someone?"

"So if we - I mean you - find the statue...what would we do with it? Could we even move it?"

"I'm not sure. But if we could save it somehow, it could unite the two camps. It could heal my mother of this hatred she's got, tearing her two aspects apart. And maybe...maybe the statue has some sort of power that could help us against the giants." Emily stared at Annabeth, she knows this had to be taken a lot out of Annabeth, with everything that has being happening to her. Emily was glad that in this respect she wasn't a child of Athena and that Athena didn't give her the quest she gave Annabeth.

"This could change everything. It could end thousands of years of hostility. It might be the key to defeating Gaea. But if we can't help you..." The question hang in the air when Piper said it, Anabeht squared her shoulders. Emily could tell that annabeth was scared inside but she was doing a good job of hiding it,

"I have to succeed. The risk is worth it."

"I don't like the idea of you risking your life alone, but you're right. We saw what recovering the golden eagle standard did for the Roman legion. If this statue is the most powerful symbol of Athena ever created - "

"It could kick some serious booty."

"That wasn't the way I'd put it, but yes." Percy took Annabeth's hand again.

"Except... No child of Athena has ever found it. Annabeth, what's down there? What's guarding it? If it's got to do with spiders - ?"

"Won through pain from a woven jail. Woven, like webs?" Emily knew Annabeth had a basic idea do what waited for her when Emily brought up the statue. At that time the statue information had sunk into their minds yet. But it has now, it was clear that Annabeth knew what she had to face in Rome now, it was the one thing that scared all children of Athena were scared of. Annabeth's face turned white and was holding down a wave of panic and terror. Emily grasp Annabeth's hand and Annabeth looked at Emily.

"I am not going to deny the fact that I know a lot about the Greek stories and other stories. But there some things I didn't know or were not sure of. I never understood of why every attempted to get the statue failed till I heard that prophecy a few days ago. I know you realize what is waiting for you in Rome now and it is terrifying for you to think about it. I a sure why every attempt risked because of what awaits you in Rome. But you have and need to succeed in this. The rift between the Greeks and roman and the quest to stop Gaea depends on it." Emily put her hand on Annabeth's forehead and an orange glow appeared around Annabeth before it disappeared and Emily lowered her hand. "Even though it seems hopeless, there is always hope." It was clear Annabeth understood what Emily just did and nodded in thanks than Piper spoke

"We'll deal with that when we get to Rome. It's going to work out. Annabeth is going to kick some serious booty, too. You'll see."

"Yeah. I learned a long time ago: Never bet against Annabeth." Annabeth smiled gratefully at both Percy and Piper. Everyone seem to feel uneasy about this, but Leo managed to shake them out of it. He pushed a button and a loud blast of steam exploded from Festus's mouth of which made everyone jump.

"Well! Good pep rally, but there's still a ton of things to fix on this ship before we get to the Mediterranean. Please report to Supreme Commander Leo for your superfun list of chores!" Emily, Bucky, Steve and Lauren were closing the deck above whirl the others she different things to do. It seemed that for the most part Leo out the couples together, though Jennifer remained above with Leo to took to him as he stay at the helm. Emily looked at Leo and Jennifer, they were cute together and they seem to like each other but they were still in that awkward phrase. Bucky noticed Emily looking at them and spoke.

"I wonder she they get past that awkward stage, maybe if they kissed that they get passed that stage or at least at the moment." Emily looked over at Bucky, Lauren and Steve were watching, both looked amused.

"I doubt it since our first kiss lead to an awkward stage."

"It wasn't my first kiss."

"I said our first kiss, not yours." Bucky smiled slightly when Emily side that, Emily rolled her eyes when Bucky smiled. She knew he was having some fun with this, Lauren snorted and chuckled, Lauren was about ready to open her mouth but Emily threw a towel at her face. Lauren removed the towel from her face and looked at Emily.

"What was that for?"

"I knew what you going to say, so I stopped you from saying it." Lauren tilted her heard a smile was close of touching her lips.

"What do you think I was going to say?" Emily snorted.

"Oh gee, I wonder. Considering we grew up together in Camp Halfblood." Lauren smirked slightly, however Bucky spoke.

"Lauren is making it sound like when I kissed you that one time it was the first time you kissed someone." Emily was about ready to tell him to never mind when Lauren spoke.

"That is because that was her first kiss."

"LAUREN!" Lauren looked over at Emily when Emily did that. "You weren't suppose to say that." Steve and Bucky looked over at Emily, Steve spoke.

"If that was the first time you kissed anyone than why did you have fun teasing me about not knowing women." Emily threw another towel at Steve.

"Because I am a woman. Even though I may not a boyfriend till Bucky doesn't mean that I don't know of how a woman thinks." No one said anything for a few moments but Lauren broke it.

"Emily, I was thinking, neither Hazel, Piper, Annabeth or yourself said much about your visit to that southern belle woman or at least not the full story." Emily sighed, there was a reason she hasn't bothered to brought that up. Emily still wished she went with the guys instead of the girls or switched places with the guys. Emily looked at Lauren before she spoke.

"There is a reason for it. I out it in a simple way, I prefer to either stay on the ship or go with the guys to the museum this be with the girls had hers what the southern belle had to say and what we did." Lauren raised an eyebrow when emily said that.

"Would I assume that it was one of the goddess than?"

"Yes, it was."

"Which one was it?"

"Aphrodite." Lauren didn't question Emily any more about what happen with Aphrodite, Emily was still thinking of what Aphrodite said when the ship's bell Ron's for dinner. As they walked to the mess hall that Bucky took her hand and spoke.

"How come you never brought you never had a boyfriend before me?"

"You never asked me so I never had a reason to tell you before." When night came that Emily laid done on the bed, Bucky had landed next to her behind her before putting his arms around her.

"Emily?" Emily lifted her head slightly before she spoke.

"What is it?"

"If you didn't have a boyfriend till me, what did you do at Camp Halfblood?"

"Normal things a camper does there. Train with swords or our powers, play capture the flag, swim, hang out, climb the lava wall ... " Emily felt Bucky sitting up and pull his arms away from her when she said lava wall and Bucky spoke.

"Lava wall?" Emily sat up and looked at Bucky of who was sitting up in the bed as well.

"Yes, a lava wall. It's like the climbing or the climbing rope used for army training. It's a mix of nothing, rocks trend to come out and sometimes lava is poured out."

"Why a lava wall?" Emily tilted her head when he said that.

"If you haven't figured it out yet, a demigod's life is hard so some of the things at camp are there to help us through some of the things we face. One reason of why there is the lava rock." Bucky didn't seem thrilled about the lava wall, one reason of why she didn't tell him the name of the wall when he was there at camp a couple of times in the past.

"What else did you do?"

"Sometimes pranked the Hermes cabin with Lauren's help, they pranked my cabin. Sometimes Lauren and I helped the Hermes cabin pull a prank." Bucky smiled slightly.

"You know when I first meet Lauren, she didn't seem like the kind to pranks people." Emily snorted.

"Not very many people do unless if you get to know her. More so during World War II." Emily put her arms around his neck and kissed him, when she broke the kiss that Bucky spoke.

"I am guessing hat you were too busy with being a camper to even bother with a relationship."

"More or less but if you hadn't notice the campers do become couples while at camp."

"What about Arabella?" Emily but her lip when Bucky said that, half of the time, Emily didn't think about Arabella mainly because of how what has been happening. When Emily thought about Arabella that she thought of what could happen if they didn't make it in time. She couldn't think of what might happen if they didn't save her or Nico.

"I don't know, I hope we will make it in time to save her and Nico. Until we get to Rome, I refuse to think of what cousin happen to them. But we may as well try to go to sleep before Gleeson comes and bangs on the door to tell us to go to sleep." Bucky laughed when Emily said that. They both laid back down once more and fell asleep. When the next morning came around that Emily woke up to a different ship's horn, it was so loud that it shook Emily out of bed. Emily got up from the floor as Bucky got off and went to help her stand up, Emily and Bucky got dressed quickly as another blast was blown. When Emily got up there,mthst Jason, Percy, Annabeth, Steve, Phil and Aubrey were there. Emily ran over the railing by his and looked out to see what was happening, when she saw what that she wanted to bang her head against something. For a hundred yard to port was a massive cruise ship glided past the Argo II, there were tourists waving at them from fifteen or sixteen rows of balconies. Some smiled and took pictures of them and the Argo II, none of them looked surprised to see an Ancient Greek trireme. Emily wondered what they saw through the mist to make them think what the Argo II was, than the cruise ship blew it's horn again and the Argo II had a shaking fit. Emily noticed the others had come above since the first horn blast of the cruise ship. Gleeson plugged his ears.

"Do they have to be so loud?"

"They're just saying hi."

"WHAT?" The ship edged past them heading out to sea, the tourists kept waving as though there was nothing was strange, not even the Argo II with half sleepy kids and adults in armor and pajamas. Leo raised his smoking hand.

"Bye!"

"Can I man the ballistae?" Hedge asked.

"No," Leo has a forced smile on his face, Hazel was rubbing her eyes and looked across the flittering green water.

"Where are - oh...Wow." Emily followed her gaze and gasp, so did Piper. Without the cruise ship blocking their view that there was a mountain jutting from the sea less than a half mile to the north. On one side was limestone cliffs that were almost complete ply sheer, dropping into the sea over a thousand feet below. On the other side was a mountains sloped in tiers, covered in a green forest, Emily could feel the trees from here. It was man ice feeling to have that feeling of plants nearby again.

"The Rock of Gibraltar. At the tip of Spain. And over there - " Annabeth pointed south, to a more distant stretch of red and ochre hills. "That must be Africa. We're at the mouth of the Mediterranean." The morning was warm, but Emily shivered slightly and she felt Bucky put his arms around her. Emily remember feeling an impassable barrier on he airplane when she went into Italy, every time. She could feel it now, but she could feel of how powerful the barrier was now since the last time she was here.

"What now? Do we just sail in?"

"Why not? It's a big shipping channel. Boats go in and out all the time." Emily shook her head when Leo said that.

"We are different, Leo. The other boats that sail through are not an trireme a full of demigods." Annabeth was gazing at the rock of Gibraltar, Emily figured she was thinking about something.

"In the old days, they called this area the pillars of Hercules. The Rock was supposed to be one pillar. The other was one of the African mountains. Nobody is sure which one."

"Hercules, huh? That guy was like the Starbucks of Ancient Greece. Everywhere you turn - there he is." A thunderous boom shook the Argo II, but there was nothing of where that boom could come from.

"So...these Pillars of Hercules. Are they dangerous?" Annabeth was still looked at the cliffs.

"For Greeks, the pillars marked the end of the known world. The Romans said the pillars were inscribed with a Latin warning - "

"Non plus ultra." Annabeth looked stunned, Emily looked around and saw what Percy was looking at. Directly a head of them an island shimmered into existence. The island was small, it was a small hilly mass of land that was covered in forests and ringed with white beaches. A hundred yards off shore of the island were two white Grecian columns as tall as the argo's masts. Between the column as there were huge silver words glittered underwater, NON PLUS ULTRA.

"Yeah. Nothing Further Beyond. How did you know?"

"Because I'm looking at it." Everyone else seem to have noticed it as well when Percy pointed.p, she heard Bucky whisper.

"Oh my gods."

"Guys, do I turn around? Or..." Leo sounded nervous as he spoke. No one answered, Emily figured that everyone saw the figure standing on the beach, as the Argo II went closer that Emily could see him better. It was a dark haired man in purple robes, his arms were crossed and he was staring at their ship intently as though the man were expecting them. From his posture, that Emily could tell he didn't seem happy. She couldn't blame him though if his job is as dull as it seems. Frank inhaled sharply.

"Could that be - ?"

"Hercules. The most powerful demigod of all time." The Argo II was only a few hundred yards from the columns.

"Need an answer, I can turn, or we can take off. The stabilizers are working again. But I need to know quick - "

"We have to keep going, I think he's guarding these straits. If that's really Hercules, sailing or flying away wouldn't do any good. He'll want to talk to us."

"Won't Hercules be on our side? I mean...he's one of us, right?"

"He was a son of Zeus, but when he died, he became a god. You can never be sure with gods."

"Great, fourteen of us against Hercules."

"And a satyr! We can take him."

"I've got a better idea. We send ambassadors ashore. A small group - one or two at most. Try to talk with him."

"I'll go. He's a son of Zeus. I'm the son of Jupiter. Maybe he'll be friendly to me."

"Or maybe he'll hate you. Half brothers don't always get along." Jason scowled.

"Thank you, Mr. Optimism." Emily than spoke.

"But true. I was in camp Halfblood for ten years and there was five boys and Lauren in the Zeus cabin. Lauren got along just fine with her half brothers but the five brothers hardly ever got along. That is just on the Greek side, Jason."

"I would know first on that, it seems that at least one of my brothers had. A black eye when they went to sleep at night." When Emily said that, that Annabeth looked between Emily and Lauren.

"Actually, Jason. It might be better if Lauren went ashore instead. For she comes for the Greek aspect as well as Hercules and they are siblings of which is something they have in common. But we need our best diplomat to go with her, someone is good with words and has been an ambassador." When Annabeth first spoke that Lauren was about ready to argue but she stopped when Annabeth reached the ambassador. Everyone looked at Emily, Emily sighed.

"Fine. Hang on a second." Emily clapped her side of her leg and snapped, when she did that, that both Lauren's and Emily's clothes straighten out. Emily had quickly went down stairs before coming back with two backpacks and she tossed one to Lauren of who looked confused till Emily spoke. "Open it!" Lauren opened it and smiled slightly before closing it and put it on her back, this she looked at Emily.

"We are doing it the old fashion way than?" Emily put her back pack on and looked at Lauren.

"Yes, we are. We are going back to camp days. That if we have to." Emily looked to where Hercules was standing. "Depending on what he wants to talk about or what he wants us to do to pass him." Emily climbed onto the railing and Lauren followed. As Emily and Lauren got on the railing that Leo anchored the Argo II between the pillars. As Emily got on the railing that her muttered a few words under her breath before looking at Lauren of who was standing next to her.

"Ready?"

"Ready?" Emily felt wind wrapping itself around her and the wind lifted Emily and Lauren up and the winds took them over to the shore where Hercules was. Emily seen enough movies and read enough about Hercules that she knew what he could do. She knows most people would have a certain idea of what Hercules looked like but Emily doubted he would look like that. Emily was right in thinking that as soon as Emily and Lauren landed on her island and were close enough to see Hercules better. His feet were bare, covered in white sand, his robes made him look like a priest and his beard was scruffy. He was well built, not too stocky, his ebony hair was close cropped Roman style, of which made Emily wonder if this was the roman aspect of Hercules. His eyes were startling blues, more like Jason's than Lauren's, his skin was coppery as if spend his whole day tanning. The only thing that was surprising about Hercules was how old he looked of which was about twenty.

Even Emily and Lauren aged more than Hercules had done, of which seem odd since he was older than either one of them. There was a club that was laying in the sand next to him, it looked more like an oversized baseball bare. The club was five feet long that was a cylinder made out of mahogany with a leather handgrip studded in bronze. Emily was sure that Gleeson would have liked that bat very much with how much he likes his own bat as well as of how often he used the bat. Lauren and Emily landed at the edge of the surf, they approached slowly, Hercules watched them as they walked towards with no emotions on his face. It reminded Emily of the static expression at Phil uses when he was doing things for S.H.I.E.L.D. Emily was the one that spoke first.

"Hello."

"What's up?" His voice was deep but casual and modern, of which surprised Emily, for Emily knows he spend most of his time and she figured he didn't have much contract with the demigods or mortals.

"A lot, I am Emily and this is Lauren." Hercules's eyes drifted between Emily and Lauren before he spoke once more.

"Daughter of Demeter and Hades as well as a daughter of Zeus, an interesting mix." Hercules looked at Emily for a moment before going on. "I never though hades would sleep with his sister, not after what he done all those years ago. I am surprised they send a goddess over here." Emily rolled her eyes when Hercules said that.

"Hercules, Hades adopted me and made me immortal as well made me princess of the underworld."

"Figures that Hades would adopted a child after most of his were killed in that last war." This he turned to Lauren. "I am sure that being a daughter of Zeus that you understand the pressure of being ones enough is never enough, it can make us snap." Emily looked at Lauren of who looked at Emily. Emily knew that Lauren was pressured because of that but it never bothered her since Emily stood with her throughout the years. When Emily learned of what Lauren been doing that she was glad of it, Lauren wasn't too bother or pressured from the howling commandos since they knew how to work together. Lauren was more of the one that gave them assignments than leading them like Emily and Steve had done. Emily than spoke.

"Hercules, we are on a quest. We like permission to pass into the Mediterranean." Hercules looked at her and shrugged.

"That's why I'm here. After I died, Dad made me the doorkeeper of Olympus. I said, Great! Palace duty! Party all the time! What he didn't mention is that I'd be guarding the doors to the ancient lands, stuck on this island for the rest of eternity. Lots of fun." He pointed at the pillars rising from the surf. "Stupid columns. Some people claim I created the whole Strait of Gibraltar by shoving mountains apart. Some people say the mountains are the pillars. What a bunch of Augean manure. The pillars are pillars." Emily had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, they didn't come to ask about the columns, they needed to get into the Mediterranean.

"Right, thanks for the information on that. But can we pass?" Hercules scratched his beard and he looked,over at the ship, Emily noticed that Steve and Bucky were grasping the railing as they watched Emily, Hercules, and Lauren. It seem that Lauren and Hercules noticed of how tightly Steve and Bucky were holding the railing. But it seem that Hercules decided not to bother with Steve or Bucky or that it was not worth the effort of being them up.

"Well, I have to give you the standard warning about how dangerous the ancient lands are. Not just any demigod can survive the Mare Nostrum. Because of that, I have to give you a quest to complete. Prove your worth, blah, blah, blah. Honestly, I don't make a big deal of it. Usually I give demigods something simple like a shopping trip, singing a funny song, that sort of thing. After all those labors I had to complete for my evil cousin Eurystheus, well...I don't want to be that guy, you know?" Emily looked at Lauren of who looked at her sure they expected Hercules to make them prove their worth."So anyway, what's your quest?"

"Giants, We're off to Greece to stop them from awakening Gaea."

"Giants, I hate those guys. Back when I was a demigod hero...ah, but never mind. So which god put you up to this - Dad? Athena? Maybe Aphrodite?" Emily was going to respond but Lauren spoke first.

"Hera sent us, She brought us together to - "

"Hera." Emily knew that saying Hera was the one that sent them on this quest was a bad idea, it seem that Lauren realized her mistake as well. For Hercules's expression was like stone.

"We hate her too, We didn't want to help her. She didn't give us much choice, but - "

"But here you are. Sorry, you two. I don't care how worthy your quest is. I don't do anything that Hera wants. Ever." Hercules was about ready to say something when shadows hit him and throw him back. Hercules got up and glared at Emily, Emily glared back at Hercules. Emily expected him to give her another glare a more dangerous one. But he acutely shrunk under her glare, so Emily used her shadow and darkness powers and they shadows and darkness bend towards her. She allowed the fear and death aura surround and become strong of which made Lauren step back form Emily as she step forward towards Hercules. But it seem Hercules register some of his courage.

"Do you think you can scare me?" Even though he was glaring at her that she could see the fear and terror in his eyes.

"Yes, I can, I can tell when I see it in someone's eyes even when that person is a god."

"If you think that ... " shades pushed him back forth and Emily stepped forward as Hercules got up to his feet once more.

"Listen, we are on a quest to stop Gaea and the giants. You were there during the first giant war and there is another giant war happening now. Even if you deny us across, that I will be able to grant passage for the Argo II."

"I doubt that very much."

"Do you want me to try it now? Even with your strength that I cans protect the ship with the greatest ease."

"Unless if you are Hestia's champion or if she made you protector of the roman state and the home, I doubt you would be able to protect the ship form me." When Hercules said that, that the plants started to reach towards Emily and she raised her hands and light them on fire. Hercules set back in surprise, so she stepped forward and allowed the fire to die down.

"I am Hestia's champion and I am the protector of the roman state and the home. You know what goes along with he job. That as far as I am alive that Rome would be protect even form any god who attacks it. That if there are Romans nearby I can out barriers around them to stop them form being attacked. So threats won't work. So either give us the quest to prove ourself or Lauren and I will fight up and we will pass without your permission." Hercules glared at her, his jaw tighten.

"On the opposite side of this island, over those hills, you'll find a river. In the middle of that river lives the old god Achelous." Hercules stood there and waited, as though he expected them to run in terror by the quest. Emily glared at him.

"You want us to break off his other horn?" Hercules's was slightly surprised that Emily figured out of what he wanted them to do.

"Most of the time that demigods come here do easy quests for me like I said and this is the first hard one I gave and I am surprised you know I was talking about."

"I had seventy years to look over myths and stories of every origin that had gods and goddess, so I know every myth and every version there is."

"Bring me that horn by sundown? Just the two of you. No contacting your friends. Your ship will remain where it is. If you succeed, you may pass into the Mediterranean."

"And if we don't?" Piper asked, pretty sure she didn't want the answer.

"Well, Achelous will kill you, obviously. And I will break your ship in half with my bare hands and send your friends to an early grave." Emily used the shadows to toss Hercules back and he glared at her, Emily and Lauren walked past. As they walked past him that Emily spoke.

"I hope you reealize that would do no good even if I die, for I already put protection around of where you can't even use your strength to break it in half. You just lucky that we are bored and we are in no mood to deal with you much longer." Neither Emily or Lauren spoke as they made their way through the island, they trooped up a hill and down into a heavily wooded valley. There were black and red striped snakes sun in themselves on the rocks while mosquitoes swarmed over stagnant ponds. The trees were mostly stunted olives, cypress and pines after a while that Lauren spoke.

"That was stupid of saying it was Hera that sent us on the quest."

"It's all right Lauren, honestly, I prefer this quest than the normal quests that Hercules usually does to let people pass. Not only that but I think I would have hit him with the shadows if he wanted us to sing a song. Seriously, I get of why he doesn't want to be like his one cousin in hat respect. But seriously a funny song to pass into the Mediterranean. He needs to sent his head straight, for where we are going it will be dangerous."

"I know. But we still haven't find a river. What was the name again?"

"Achelous. He's a potamus."

"He's a hippopotamus?"

"No. Potamus. A river god. According to this, he's the spirit of some river in Greece."

"Since we're not in Greece, let's assume he's moved. Exactly why does Hercules want the other horn."

"Achelous fought Hercules for the hand of the beautiful Deianira. During the struggle, Hercules broke off one of the river god's horns, which became the first cornucopia."

"That's one of your mother's symbols."

"It is." They kept walking and were trying to stay in the shade, but it didn't work to well. As they walked that the sun started to go down, Emily was worried as she watched the sun go down, she was worried about Nico and Arabella. She knows that they were close even since just before the quest to save Artemis, Arabella was the one that most likely filled that hole that Nico had when he lost his older sister. Emily had lost Steve once, she had no plans of losing any other siblings any time soon. Emily was also wondering what was happening back on the ship, she was sure that Steve and Bucky were worried. It was a funny thought really, it was only funny because as she thought about that she thought back to when Steve become Captain America. At that time Steve hardly knew Lauren and was barely reunited with Emily here they had to go different ways again. While Emily and Lauren were fighting in the war that Steve was performing or a dancing monkey as he seem to think of himself as during that time. At that Bucky didn't she was in the war, so the last time Emily and Lauren fought together without Steve and Bucky that they were not worried about them.

Than Emily heard running water, Lauren heard it to, they crept through the trees to get to the river. They soon found themselves on the bank of a river, Emily guessed that this was the river that they were suppose to find. It was forty feet wide but only a few inches deep, a sheet of water was racing over a smooth bed of stones. A few yards downstream that the rapids plunged into a fair blue swimming hole. There was something wrong here, for everything gone quiet as she listened that it seem the river was becoming more inviting. Emily managed to snap herself out of it, as well as Lauren, Emily felt something, it was the same feeling she gets when she was around Hogwarts. It was the few things that came with the blessing of a Hecate, that she would be able to sense magic.

"Who are you?"

'Forgive me. Singing is one of the few pleasures I have left.' A figure emerged from the swimming hole as if rising on an elevator. It was a bull with a human face, it seem like she was facing the Minotaur but yet it was not the Minotaur. But there differences, for the bull man's skin was as blue as the water, his hooves levitated on the river's surface. On top of his neck as the head of a man with short curly black hairs, the bull man had a bears that had ringlets Ancient Greek style. His eyes were deep mournful eyes behind glasses and a mouth that seems set in a per name to pout, sprouting from the left side of hair head was a single's bull's horn. It was curved black and white like warriors might turn into drinking cups, the imbalance made his head tilt to he left so that it looked like he was trying to get water out of one of his ears. "Hello. Come to kill me, I suppose." He spoke sadly like as if his life was full of nothing but sadness. Emily looked at Lauren of who shrugged, Emily looked at the bull man.

"No! I'm sorry. But we didn't want to bother you, but Hercules sent us." The bull man sighed and his hooves pawed the water as if ready to charge.

"Hercules! To me, he'll always be Heracles. That's his Greek name, you know: the glory of Hera." He spoke bitterly, it was clear he didn't like the life he has now and she couldn't blame him. Emily wanted to make sure that this was Achelous

"You're Achelous?" The bull man bent his from legs and lowered his head in a bow, it was sweet but it was a bit sad as well.

"At your service. River god extraordinaire. Once the spirit of the mightiest river in Greece. Now sentenced to dwell here, on the opposite side of the island from my old enemy. Oh, the gods are cruel! But whether they put us so close together to punish me or Hercules, I have never been sure." Emily could hear the background noise of the river, Emily fought off and focus on Achelous.

"I'm Emily. This is Lauren." Emily explained why they were, she also explained their quest to help the eight it finish their quest to stop the giants to prevent the Gaea from waking. As Emily explained that Achelous kept tipping his head to the left, she had a feeling that was because of his missing horn that Hercules took.

"My girls, do you know the cause of my fight with Hercules?" Emily nodded when Achelous said that.

"Yes. It was over a woman, Deianira." Achelous sighed heavily.

"Yes. And do you know what happened to her?" Emily tried to remember but she had so much information of the different stories, myths and legends that it was hard to figure out of what happened to her.

"I can't remember, I have so many stories in my head that I can't place which story it was. I know she died and that she was given a shirt to poison Hercules." Achelous pawed the water, a scroll shot from the river like a miniature rocket and landed in front of Achelous. He nudged it open and the weathered yellow perch went unfurled, covered with faded Latin script and elaborate had drawn pictures,

"Oh, the smell of sheepskin! The elegant feel of the scroll unrolling beneath my hooves. You simply can't duplicate it in something like that. You young folks today and your newfangled gadgets. Bound pages. Little compact squares of text that are not hoof-friendly. That's a bound book, a b-book, if you must. But it's not a traditional book. It'll never replace the good old-fashioned scroll! Now, this is Deianira." He tapped a picture in the scroll, Emily and Lauren knelt down to look, the hand painted portrait was small but she could make out the woman none the less. The woman in the scroll was very beautiful with long dark hair, dark eyes and a playful smile that could have drove guys crazy. "Princess of Calydon. She was promised to me, until Hercules butted in. He insisted on combat."

"And he broke off your horn?"

"Yes, I could never forgive him for that. Horribly uncomfortable, having only one horn. But the situation was worse for poor Deianira. She could have had a long, happy life married to me." It was Lauren who spoke.

"A man-headed bull who lives in a river." Lauren didn't seem too thrilled about the idea of living with someone like Achelous.

"Exactly. It seems impossible she would refuse, eh? Instead, she went off with Hercules. She picked the handsome, flashy hero over the good, faithful husband who would have treated her well. What happened next? Well, she should have known. Hercules was much too wrapped up in his own problems to be a good husband. He had already murdered one wife, you know. Hera cursed him, so he flew into a rage and killed his entire family. Horrible business. That's why he had to do those twelve labors as penance."

"Well Hera made him crazy in the first place. But he had to pay the price."

"The Olympians never seem to pay for their crimes. And Hera has always hated the sons of Zeus...or Jupiter. At any rate, my poor Deianira had a tragic end. She became jealous of Hercules's many affairs. He gallivanted all over the world, you see, just like his father Zeus, flirting with every woman he met. Finally Deianira got so desperate she listened to bad advice. A crafty centaur named Nessus told her that if she wanted Hercules to be faithful forever, she should spread some centaur blood on the inside of Hercules's favorite shirt. Unfortunately Nessus was lying because he wanted revenge on Hercules. Deianira followed his instructions, but instead of making Hercules a faithful husband - "

"Centaur blood is like acid."

"Yes, Hercules died a painful death. When Deianira realized what she'd done, she..." Achelous drew a line across his neck.

"That's awful."

"And the moral, my dear? Beware the sons of Zeus." Emily looked at Lauren before looking at Achelous.

"Neither one of us have to worry about that, Achelous." He raised an eyebrow when Emily did that. "You see, we are both married. I am married to a son of Notus and she is married to a son of Demeter." Lauren than spoke.

"Besides, I am a daughter of Zeus myself." Achelous looked surprised but smile spoke up.

"I am sorry for your lost, but is there something we could do. I am not too worried about not being able to those pillars?"

"Like what any I ask?" Emily shrugged when Achelous said that.

"I don't know." Achelous shook his head.

"Unless if you are the princess of the underworld and Hestia's champion, I doubt you can help." Emily stood up when Achelous said that.

"But I am." Achelous raised an eyebrow, so Emily snapped her fingers and her appearance changed. This time Achelousknelt down.

"Princess Rachel, I didn't expect you to be."

"I know, but what can I do to help." Achelous looked at her.

"Being back Deianira." Emily bit her lip when He asked that question, she wasn't sure if she could do that or not.

"Achelous, that would be difficult to do even during this time. But," Emily looked around she let the trees grow more and she put up a barrier around this area. "I can at least make sure that Hercules doesn't come here." Emily stomped her feet and a gold light left the tip her foot and went to Achelous and he lit up for a few moments. "Not only that I at least gave you the hope that you will find love again, of how and when that will happen, I can't say. It may take some years before that happens." When she said that Achelous smiled, it seem to comfort him.

"I thank you for that at least. You gave me hope after so many years of misery and I do hope that one day I will find love again." Achelous tossed the scroll and it went back to into the water, Emily and Lauren were about ready to turn and leave when he called out. "Wait!" They looked at him, he reached up and yanked the horn right off of his head. He handed emily the horn and Emily grasp it. "I know that Hercules wants the horn and that is why he sent you two. But I am giving it to as a gift and ask you not to give it to him. Not only that but I can tell when I am facing a daughter of Demeter. It would be nice to know that a daughter of Demeter carries my horn. For I know you will use it well." Emily gripped the horn tightly.

"I will take care of it. I promise I won't give it to Hercules." Achelous smiled and went back into the swimming hoe, while Emily and Lauren went back to the beach. As they ran back that suddenly shadows appeared in front of them and Emily stopped. Suddenly Shadow appeared from the shadows and landed on he shoulder. Lauren looked at the black owl as she hooted. "Shadow!" Emily grabbed. Apiece to paper and a pencil from he backpack and wrote a note before giving it to Shadow. "Give this to Phil." When Shadow left that Emily told her of her plan, once she said the plan that Lauren went along with it. Hercules was waiting right where they left him, he was looking at the Argo II, it seem all right. But she couldn't see Steve or Bucky, since Emily and Lauren ran into the forest that Emily changed back into her normal appearance. When he saw them that he saw Emily had the horn of plenty, his scowl lessened.

"Good, You got it. In that case, you are free to go."

"Come on Lauren. That means the Argo II will be able to pass into the Mediterranean?"

"Yes, yes. Now, the horn."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Emily raised the cornucopia, as she expected that the horn hollowed out, Emily could feel the power coming from it. Emily figure that was because of the fact that she was a daughter of Demeter and champion of Hestia.

"Achelous was right. You're his curse as much as he is yours. You're a sorry excuse for a hero."

"You realize I could kill you with a flick of my finger, I could throw my club at your ship and cut straight through its hull. I could - "

"You could shut up, maybe Zeus is different from Jupiter. Because I wouldn't put up with any brother who acts like you." Lauren had drew her sword out as she spoke.

"You would not be the first demigod I've killed." Emily took a step forward.

"You do realize that threaten me is not a smart way to go. Besides, I already told you that you won't be able to kill them as long as the protection stands even after my death. You couldn't even stomp on it." Before he could do anything that food shot at him, the cornucopia started sprouting out food. When there was enough to fill a house that it stopped, Emily grasp Lauren's arm and they were engulf in shadow and reappeared on the Argo II. Shadow left Phil's shoulder and went to her shoulder. Emily could hear Hercules yelling kill as the ship's oars were put into aerial mode and they went into the air. Jason summoned a Gale so strong that it pushed them into the soupy while Percy sent a ten foot tall wave at Hercules's of who was knocked over a second time. By the time that Hercules got to his feet that the Argo II was sailing through he clouds above the Mediterranean.


	21. Chapter 21

Emily and Lauren were the only two that knew the difference between the ancient lands and outside of the ancient lands. As soon as they crossed over that they were attacked several times an hour, a flock of flesh eating stymphalian birds swooped down at them at once time. Festus torched the birds though of which was a good thing, Emily was glad of Festus being able to breath fire still. There was also storm spirits that swirled around the mast, both Lauren and Jason blasted them with lightning. One time a Gleeson was having dinner on the foredeck that a wild Pegasus appeared from no where and stampeded over Gleeson's enchiladas before flying off again. The Pegasus also left cheesy hoof prints all across the deck of which made Emily and Lauren laugh though Gleeson didn't find it funny.

"What was that for?" Around midnight while Emily, Lauren, Jason and Percy were fightin off the ninety or tenth aerial attack that Jason turned to all three of them.

"How about you get some sleep? I'll keep blasting stuff out of the sky as long as I can. Then we can go by sea for a while, and you can take point." Lauren this spoke up.

"Jason, Emily and I can do his. We had over seventy, closer to eighty year,s of fighting no dusting our powers. You two can go and sleep, we will wake you up when it's your turn." Jason and Percy nodded before going to to their cabins, the others also went to bed, Steve, Bucky, Phil and Aubrey looked at them once before going below with Gleeson at the helm singing one of his songs. As Emily made it hail that she thought back to when it had only been the three of them on a quest, Lauren, Gleeson and herself. The last time the three of them been on a quest with each other was when Emily and Lauren were nineteen. At that time Gleeson looked about their age but now he looked middle aged of which seem funny but he still acted the same back than as he does now none the less. As Emily and Lauren used their powers that Gleason spoke over them.

"This is like just the good old days with you two." Emily smiled lightly as kept singing and threaten to smash any of the storm spirits or anything that attacked the ship. After a few hours that their turn was over and they went to get Jason and Percy, once Emily woke up Percy that she went to her cabin. As she expected Bucky was on the bed fast asleep, Emily got into the bed and laid down next to Bucky before placing her head on his chest. When she did that, that Bucky stirred and than she felt him out his arms around her, Emily smiled slightly. Emily noticed that if she gets into bed later after Bucky feel asleep that he would stir a little, he would put his arms around her and at times he would go on his side but his arms would still go around her none the less when he did that. Emily wanted and need some sleep before they are in Rome, so she closed her eyes and fell asleep.a

Emily wasn't sure of how long she been asleep but the alarms bell sounded causing her to wake up, it also woke up Bucky of who fell to the floor. He rocking of the sea most likely didn't help Bucky of not falling off the bed, Emily had got off the bed as he doors flew open. Emily almost cried in shock, she would admit that the godly world was a strange one and it keeps getting stranger as the years went by. Just like with what S.H.I.E.L.D. does and sees since Emily become an avenger among a couple of other things. Emily had seen a lot of monsters during World War II but it seems every since this quest started that she found out more things than she was aware of. For coming into the chain was dolphins and form how they acted and everything at they were warriors or pirates. Emily and Bucky tried to fight back but they managed to tie up Emily and Bucky, they dragged Emily up to the deck. As they went the deck that Emily realized it hadn't been long since she fell asleep of how long it has been since she been asleep was beyond her.

Emily noticed another ship nearby that seem to have rammed into the Argo II, it was another Greek trireme. It has black sails with a painted gorgon's head, Emily noticed a man standing in front of Percy and Annabeth. Unlike the dolphins, of who appeared to be a mix of dolphins and men that he was fully human. He was dressed in Greek combat armor, sandals, kilt, greaves, and a breastplate decorated with elaborate sea monster designs. The whole thing was gold as well, even the guy's sword was gold, Emily had a feeling that the sword was made out of imperial gold. Emily noticed that he was wearing a helmet as well, it looked like a gorgon's head curves tusks, horrible features that were pinched into a snarl, and golden snake hair. The dolphin warriors were being hints up as well as the rest of the crew. One of them was dragging Gleeson up the stairs.

"Let me go, you tuna fish!" Gleeson bellowed, he tried to kick the warrior but his hook clanged off his captor's armor. It seem like Gleeson made several attempts to be let go and fight, considering the amount of dents in the armor.

"Ah, a satyr. A little old and stringy, but Cyclopes will pay well for a morsel like him. Chain him up."

"I'm nobody's goat meat!"

"Gag him as well."

"Why you gilded little - " Gleeson's insult was cut when the dolphin put a greasy was of canvas in his mouth, Gleeson was trussed like a rodeo calf and dumped with the other loot.

"You can't do this!" The golden man's laughter reverberated inside his gold face mask.

"I can do anything I want. My warriors have been trained to perfection. They are vicious, cutthroat - "

"Dolphins." The golden man shrugged.

"Yes. So? They had some bad luck a few millennia ago, kidnapped the wrong person. Some of their crew got turned completely into dolphins. Others went mad. But these...these survived as hybrid creatures. When I found them under the sea and offered them a new life, they became my loyal crew. They fear nothing!" One of the warriors chattered at he golden man nervously.

"Yes, yes. They fear one thing, but it hardly matters. He's not here." Just than Steve, Lauren, Phil and Aubrey were dragged up along with Jason, Piper, Hazel and Jennifer. Piper has a gag in her mouth and she was bound hand and foot like Hazel, Jason was unconscious. Jason and some bruises like Emily and Bucky had but Jason's bruises were worse, Jennifer also and some bruises along with Phil, Aubrey, Steve and Lauren. A couple of the dolphins had bee stings covering their faces, Emily looked around and saw Leo seem half with it but she couldn't see Frank.

"Excellent!" The golden man directed the dolphins to dump Jason by the crossbows and than he looked at Piper, Hazel, Emily, Aubrey and Lauren. He was looking at them as if they were Christmas presents that he just opened.

"The boy is no use to me. But we have an understanding with the witch Circe. She will buy the women - either as slaves or trainees, depending on their skill. But not you, lovely Annabeth." Annabeth recoiled when the golden man said that.

"You are not taking me anywhere." Emily noticed that Percy's hand crept to his pocket, Emily assumed that his pen appeared back in his pocket. The golden man tutted.

"Oh, sadly, Annabeth, you will not be staying with me. I would love that. But you and your friend Percy are spoken for. A certain goddess is paying a high bounty for your capture - alive, if possible, though she didn't say you had to be unharmed." At that moment Piper caused a disturbance that was needed, for she winked loudly so it could be heard through her gag. Than she fainted against the nearest guard knocking the guard over. Hazel and Jennifer seem to follow Piper's lead and crumpled to the deck kicking her legs and thrashing around like she was having a fit. Emily managed to use her poppy to know some of the dolphins to the ground, whirl the others did similar things to either Emily or Piper. Depending on who it was, Percy drew his sword out and lashed out at the golden man and started to fight. As they fought that the dolphins managed to hod Emily and the others back to give Percy and the golden man room to fight. However to seem that the golden man managed to knock Percy's sword out of his hands and it went into the sea. The golden male pressed the sword against Percy.

"A good try. But now you'll be chained and transported to Gaea's minions. They are quite eager to spill your blood and wake the goddess." Emily looked at Steve of who was looking at with a questioning face. Emily shrugged, but when Percy spoke that it seem that Percy came up with something.

"Fine! Take us away, if our captain will let you." Percy spoke rather loudly and the golden male turned to look at him,

"What captain? My men searched the ship. There is no one else." Percy raised his hand.

"The god appears only when he wishes. But he is our leader. He runs our camp for demigods. Doesn't he, Annabeth?"

"Yes!" Annabeth nodded enthusiastically. "Mr. D! The great Dionysus!" Emily smiled, she understood what Percy was doing, it was clear that this dolphins were the ones that kidnap Dionysus all those years ago. A ripple of uneasiness passed through the dolphin men and one dropped his sword,

"Stand fast! There is no god on this ship. They are trying to scare you."

"You should be scared! Dionysus will be severely cranky with you for having delayed our voyage. He will punish all of us. Didn't you notice the girls falling into the wine god's madness?" Hazel, Aubrey, Jennifer, and Piper stopped the shaking fits, they were sitting on the deck staring at Percy. When Percy glared at them that they started up again, trembling and flopping around like fish. The dolphin men fell over themselves trying to get away from their captives.

"Fakes! Shut up, Percy Jackson. Your camp director is not here. He was recalled to Olympus. This is common knowledge."

"So you admit Dionysus is our director!"

"He was. Everyone knows that."

"You see? We are doomed. If you don't believe me, let's check the ice chest!" Percy stormed over to the magical cooler, no one tried to stop when he stormed over to the cooler. He knocked it open and rummaged through the ice, Emily prayed and hope that they would be one in there. Sure enough that Percy pulled out a can of diet coke, he brandished it at the dolphin warriors of who moved away like as though it was a sword.

"Behold! The god's chosen beverage. Tremble before the horror of Diet Coke!" Emily smiled as the dolphin men began to panic, they were on the edge of retreat.

"The god will take your ship. He will finish your transformation into dolphins, or make you insane, or transform you into insane dolphins! Your only hope is to swim away now, quickly!"

"Ridiculous!" It seem the golden male was unsure to point the sword at Percy or his crew.

"Save yourselves! It is too late for us!" Percy gasped and pointed to a spot, Emily was slightly confused, unless if Frank was hiding close by of where Percy was pointing. "Oh, no! Frank is turning into a crazy dolphin!" Nothing happened. "I said, Frank is turning into a crazy dolphin!" Frank stumbled out of nowhere making a big show of grabbing his throat.

"Oh, no, I am turning into a crazy dolphin." Frank began to change into a dolphin, Emily smiled as Frank changed. It was a good thing Frank has that ability. The dolphins disbanded in terror, chattering and clicking as they dropped their weapons. They forget the captives and ignored the golden man's orders before jumping overboard, in the confusion that Annabeth cut the bonds on Piper, Hazel and Gleeson. Emily managed to cut her own bonds and she cut off the rest of the binds of the rest of the questers or at least some of them. Within seconds the golden man was surrounded with no weapons but Emily's sword, Annabeth's knife and Gleeson's hooves. He backed to the edge of the rail.

"This isn't over, Jackson, I will have my revenge - " his words were cut short by Frank, who changed form again but this time it was a grizzly bear. He sideswiped the golden man and risked the golden mask off of his helmet, the golden man screamed and covered his face before tumbling into the water. They ran to the rail but the golden man disappeared, Emily looked at the water wondering what happened to the golden man.

"That was brilliant!" Annabeth kissed Percy.

"It was desperate. And we need to get rid of this pirate trireme."

"Burn it?" Emily looked up at Annabeth and Percy as they spoke. Percy was looking at the diet coke in his hand.

"No. I've got another idea." It took a while before they managed to clean up the place. Leo managed to get back on his feet thanks to the nectar. Piper tended to Jason's wounds while Emily did some healing with the others as well as healed some of Jason's bruises or help him along. Emily didn't risk of using most of her healing abilities. They return their own supplies back to where they suppose to be and Gleeson had some fun with the enemy ship. There was a lot of treasure in the ship when they put the weapons bakx on the ship, Emily couldn't believe of how much gold there was.

"I can sense about six million dollars' worth of gold aboard. Plus diamonds, rubies - "

"Six m-million? Canadian dollars or American?"

"I believe it's American. I think. It's heard to tell but with half of the things on the ship and with old some of it is, I think it would be worth more that." Frank looked at Emily with an eyebrow raised, Emily merely shrugged.

"Leave it. It's part of the tribute."

"Tribute?"

"Oh. Kansas." Jason grinned.

"Crazy. But I like it." Percy went aboard the pirate ship and opened the flood valves, he asked Leo to drill a few extra holes at the bottom of the hill with his power tools of which Leo was only too happy to do it. The crew of the Argo II assembled at the rail and cut the grappling lines, Emily brought out her horn of plenty and sullied it spew Diet Coke, she also spew some Diet Pepsi as well just to cover both drinks. For there was a chance that Bacchus might like diet Pepsi instead of diet coke like Dionysus. The ship sank rather fast since it was filled with diet coke, diet Pepsi and seawater. Percy held up the golden mask

"Dionysus or Bacchus - whatever. You made this victory possible, even if you weren't here. Your enemies trembled at your name...or your Diet Coke, or something. So, yeah, thank you. We give this ship to you as tribute. We hope you like it." Emily could tell that Percy was having a hard time saying the words, Emily couldn't blame Percy for that.

"Six million in gold. He'd better like it."

"Shh. Precious metal isn't all that great. Believe me." Percy threw the golden mask aboard the vessel of which was sinking faster. Brown fizzy liquid spewing the oar slots and was bubbling from the cargo hold, turning the sea to frothy brown, Percy summoned a wave and the enemy ship was swamped. Leo stirred the Argo II away as the pirate vessel disappeared up underwater.

"Isn't that polluting?"

"I wouldn't worry. If Bacchus likes it, the ship should vanish." As the Argo II headed east into the fog that Emily felt Bucky wrap his arms around her and she leaned back into him. She felt him out one of his hands over her stomach, she smiled lightly, she almost forget about the child inside her. Though she still could sense the child through her Hestia abilities, Emily wasn't surprised that she hadn't given it much thought about the child with whatnots been happening. It seemed like the fight with the pirates lifted everyone's spirits. For they flew the rest of the way to Rome and Jason was insisted that he was well enough for sentry duty along with Gleeson. Of who was still so charged with adrenaline that every time the ship hit turbulence that he swung his bat and yelled die. They still had a couple of hours before daybreak, so Emily and Bucky went to their cabin. Once inside that they laid down on the bed and Emily snuggled up next to Bucky. When she did that Bucky spoke.

"Emily?"

"hmm?"

"Do you think you would be safe over here?" Emily lifted her head so that she was looking at Bucky, he was looking at her concern, it was just for her it was for their child that was in her for about two weeks now. Emily put a hand on his cheek and spoke.

"Don't worry Bucky, I will be fine over here. I been through a lot since I was ten and it has been eighty years since than." Bucky pulled her closer and she put her head between his neck and collarbone. Not much later that Emily woke up to a metallic clang clang clang, Emily looked up shocked at first before she realized it was the landing gear being lowered. There was a knock on the door and Lauren poked her head in.

"Hey, guys. We're descending over Rome. You two really should see this." Emily and Bucky got up and went to the deck as quick as they could, the sky was a brilliant blue color as if the stormy weather never happened. The sun rose over the distant hills, so that Rome shone and sparkle just like Rome just came out of the car wash. Emily had seen some the Italian cities but none of them compared to Rome, it seem that Rome has no regard for the limits of geography. Rome spread through the hills and valleys, as well as jumping over the Tiber with dozens of bridges. Streets and alleys zigzagged with no rhyme or reason through the neighborhoods, glass office buildings stood next to excavation sites. A cathedral stood next to a line of roman columns of which stood next to a modern soccer stadium. In some neighborhood that have old stucco villas with red tiled roofs that have cobblestone streets. Emily felt Bucky take her hand and squeezed, Emily looked at him and smiled slightly.

"We're setting down in that park. Let's hope the Mist makes us look like a large pigeon or something." Leo was pointing to a wide green space dotted with palm trees. Thankfully one one noticed the Argo II landed, it was almost like a common thing for the Romans to see a Greek warship over the city. The noise of the traffic was all around them, but the park was peaceful and deserted. To their left a green lawn sloped towards a line of trees, an old villa nestled in the shade of some weird looking pine trees. To their right was a long brick wall with notches at the top for archers and it ran along the top of the hill. To the north was the top of the colosseum, about a mike away through the folds of the city, it looked just like in the pictures. Emily,looked around, it seem odd to think that this was an old Roman Empire at one point of where part of her life was shape from. Jason pointed to the base of the archers' wall of where steps led down into some kind of tunnel.

"I think I know where we are. That's the Tomb of the Scipios."

"Scipio...Reyna's pegasus?"

"No. They were a noble Roman family, and...wow, this place is amazing." Jason nodded.

"I've studied maps of Rome before. I've always wanted to come here, but..." No one bothered to finish that sentence, it seems hard to believe that they were in Rome.

"Plans? Nico has until sunset - at best. And this entire city is supposedly getting destroyed today." Emily shook herself out of her daze, she was sure that she wasn't the only one that had to.

"You're right. Annabeth...did you zero in on that spot from your bronze map?"

"Yes, It's on the Tiber River. I think I can find it, but I should - "

"Take me along. Yeah, you're right." Annabeth glared daggers at Percy.

"That's not - "

"Safe. One demigod walking through Rome alone. I'll go with you as far as the Tiber. We can use that letter of introduction, hopefully meet the river god Tiberinus. Maybe he can give you some help or advice. Then you can go on alone from there." Percy and Annabeth were having a silent staring contest, Percy didn't back down, like Emily expected him to.

"Fine, Hazel, now that we're in Rome, do you think you can pinpoint Nico's location?" Hazel blinked

"Um...hopefully, if I get close enough. I'll have to walk around the city. Frank, would you come with me?"

"Absolutely."

"And, uh...Leo. It might be a good idea if you came along too. The fish-centaurs said we'd need your help with something mechanical."

"Yeah, no problem." Frank smile turned into like that mask wore by the golden man, Emily would admit that Leo, Hazel and Frank acted oddly since they left camp fishblood. Emily noticed that there was different kind of tension between the three of them as oppose to the one they had before. Emily did notice since than that Leo and Jennifer become closer to each other, Emily wondered if they were close to a romantic relationship.

"Why don't you take Bucky and Lauren with you as well." Hazel looked Emily when she said that and she nodded. Piper drew her knife and set it on the rail.

"Jason and I can watch the ship for now. I'll see what Katoptris can show me. But, Hazel, if you guys get a fix on Nico's location, don't go in there by yourselves. Come back and get us. It'll take all of us to fight the giants." Annabeth looked at Emily.

"Do you think you can search the city for any monsters or anything."

"Sure, Steve, Phil and Aubrey can come along. Jennifer can stay here as well."

"Good idea, How about we plan to meet back here at...what?"

"Three this afternoon? That's probably the latest we could rendezvous and still hope to fight the giants and save Nico. If something happens to change the plan, try to send an Iris-message." Everyone nodded in agreement, but most of them glanced at Annabeth, they all know that Annabeth may not be back at three or may not come back at all. That she would be on her own searching for the Athena Parthenos. Gleeson grunted.

"That'll give me time to eat the coconuts - I mean dig the coconuts out of our hull. Percy, Annabeth...I don't like you two going off on your own. Just remember: behave. If I hear about any funny business, I will ground you until the Styx freezes over." Emily smiled slightly, she has no idea of how often she heard something similar to that when Emily and Lauren went on quests with Gleeson. For most of the quests that Emily and Lauren went on that Gleeson was there too, that was the funny thing, that Gleeson didn't take them to camp.

"We'll be back soon." Percy looked around at everyone."Good luck, everyone." Leo lowered the gangplank, Percy and Annabeth were the first off the ship. Than it was Frank, Hazel, Leo, Bucky and Lauren. Bucky and Lauren were hesitate to leave Steve and Emily but they did it anyway, than it was Emily, Steve, Phil and Aubrey. When they were out of earshot of the others and the ship that Phil spoke.

"May I ask of why you suggested Bucky and Lauren to go with Leo, Frank and Hazel?" Emily shrugged.

"It's one of those times that you get a feeling that it has to be like that."

"Have you ever been here before?"

"No but I been to other Italian cities though." As they walked through Rome that Emily got the feeling that they were being watched, Emily saw a lar a couple of times among a few other things, she was sure that they were being watched. As they walked that Steve grabbed her wrist, Emily stopped and looked down at his hand, Steve looked down and let go smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry, it's just that I am still getting used to the demigod world."

"It can take a couple of years before you get used to it, but it would be easier if you were trained at camp. However, I seen a lot of new stuff in the demigod world recently than I had in the last eighty years." Steve smiled when Emily said that, as they went on walking that they were not attacked. When noon came around that they were getting hungry so they found a sidewalk cafe that had a view of temple hill. When the waiter saw them that he was surprise to see them till he heard their accents, she the waiter left that Steve looked at Emily.

"Is he a monster or something?" Emily laughed.

"All right, I need to caught you up on the international cultures as well as American. But the waiter isn't a monster. What is it that the four of us are clueless Americans, that is what off about that."

"What's wrong with Americans?"

"Nothing expect we are clueless and Americans seem weird to other cultures in the world. Other than the fact that Italians eat later in the day for lunch." Phil looked at her.

"How often do you leave America?"

"A few times, though in more recent years that I left to visit Arabella while she is at school."

"If she remains in England after she finish would you still go visit her."

"Of course, I am not going to tell where she should leave after Hogwarts. She would be of she by than. As a matter fact she would be of age a year sooner than those who can't use magic like she can. For in the wizarding world they come of age at seventeen." After that, that Emily explained things of the wizarding world to them, it seem Steve was glad that he wasn't the only one who didn't know much about the wizarding world. Phil knew some things but not all of it, honestly, compare to Arabella, Emily's own knowledge of the wizarding world was limited. When it was close to three that they went back to the Argo II.

Bucky's pov

Bucky knew enough of the demigod world to know that at times that a demigod woudk get the feeling that they were needed with someone or to do something. Bucky got that feeling when Leo, Hazel and Frank were to find Nico and Arabella, he didn't what to say anything but Emily had spoke up suggesting Bucky and Lauren to go with them. Bucky had a feeling it was partly because of sisterly concern for her three siblings on her adopted father's side. Bucky felt rather bad for Hazel at the moment due to her underground senses and there apparently a lot of tunnels under Rome. She kept leading them around the city, getting dizzy and doubling back. Bucky wondered of Emily had the underground senses, if she did that he hoped she wouldn't be like Hazel was now.

"Sorry. It's just...there's so much underground here, so many layers, it's overwhelming. Like standing in the middle of an orchestra and trying to concentrate on a single instrument. I'm going deaf."

Because of her senses that they got a tour of the city, Frank seem happy to walk along like a big sheepdog. Bucky was getting slightly impatient and worried, Bucky knew half,of it was the demigod stuff that Emily told him about in World War II when she was explaining the demigod world to Steve. He was getting impatient mainly because of Emily, he thought back on his life of where the time as the winter soldier was a blur of bad memories. He wondered of how Emily felt during the time of where she was by herself, knowing all too well that Steve, Lauren and Bucky were not dead but alive. He couldn't began to think what that was like, honestly Emily had more right to be worried about him than he does of her because of that. But she knows he could look out for himself like he knows she can, she handle herself better in the demigod world than he does, though he's till couldn't help but worry. He would felt better if it was Emily instead of Lauren with them. He could still remember of how worried he had been when Emily and Lauren went to talk to Hercules.

He remembers what Emily told him after they got back, it was amusing to think that Hercules, one of the greatest Greek heroes, was scared of Emily. Though if she did something like she did back back in New Rome, or at least the things he heard about, or even when she told Jason off that he couldn't blame Hercules for being scared of her. For she was scary when she gets angry like she when she told Jason off, till that moment he never saw her like that. The shadows and darkness were try into reach her and he could smell death and fear as well as feel fear coming from Emily. Bucky knew that was her abilities from Hades coming through at that moment, he was sure if they had been in a forest that the plants would have died. Bucky dragged himself out of his thoughts as he looked around, they passed churches, freestanding arches, clothing stores and fast food restaurants. It seem like one of the statues of some ancient roman man was pointing at a nearby McDonald's of which was really funny.

"I never thought I'd get to see Rome. When I was alive, I mean the first time, Mussolini was in charge. We were at war."

"Mussolini? Wasn't he like BFFs with Hitler?" Hazel stared at Leo like he was an alien, Bucky looked at Leo like he was one as well. Bucky never heard that term before, but it seem Lauren had for she face palm herself like, Leo, are you crazy or something along those lines. True, Bucky hadn't been in the ice but he had been frozen though, he was only let out for missions till Steve and Emily were his targets. In guns, he knew how to work them and knives, but he never got around to everything else till his memories started to return. Or at least the ones that had been lost since he never forget about Emily.

"BFFs?"

"Never mind."

"I'd love to see the Trevi Fountain."

"There's a fountain on every block."

"Or the Spanish Steps."

"Why would you come to Italy to see Spanish steps? That's like going to China for Mexican food, isn't it?"

"You're hopeless."

"So I've been told." Hazel turned to Frank and grabbed his hand.

"Come on. I think we should go this way." Frank gave Leo a confused smile, like he couldn't decide on something, but he cheerfully let Hazel drag him along. Lauren walked up to Leo and out an arm around. His shoulders and spoke.

"Come on, doofus." Lauren removed her arm and went after Hazel and Frank, Bucky and Leo followed behind them. After walking forever that Hazel stopped in front of a church or at least Bucky assumed it was a church. The main section has a big domed roof, the entrance has a triangular rood and the typical roman columns and there was an inscription across the top: M. AGRIPPA or that is what Bucky assumed it said. Before he fell from the triangle he could read just fine, but now he seem to only be able to read Greek. Leo must have thought it said something else or he thought it was something else.

"Latin for Get a grip?"

"This is our best bet. There should be a secret passage somewhere inside." Tour groups milled around the steps, guides held up colored placards with different numbers. Leo must have been listening to one of the groups, judging on what he said next.

"This is the Pantheon. It was originally built by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to the gods. After it burned down, Emperor Hadrian rebuilt it, and it's been standing for two thousand years. It's one of the best-preserved Roman buildings in the world." Lauren, Bucky, Frank and Hazel stared at Leo.

"How did you know that?"

"I'm naturally brilliant."

"Centaur poop. He eavesdropped on a tour group." Bucky looked over Frank when he said that, Bucky learned that there some different phrases that demigods use that were different from how mortals use them or were totally different.

"Maybe. Come on. Let's go find that secret passage. I hope this place has air conditioning." When they were inside that Bucky couldn't help but look around for it was nothing like he seen before even when he was in the one camp in Italy or even in England. The marble floor was patterned with squares and circles, the main space was one huge chamber with a circular rotunda, like a Capitol building back in the states. Lining the walls were different shrines, statues, tombs and other things. But what caught his eye was the dome, all the light in the building came from one circular opening eight at the top. A beam of sunlight slanted into the room and glowed on the floor, it was almost like if one of the gods were looking down at the humans. Hazel stopped in the middle of the room and turned in a circle.

"This is amazing. In the old days, the children of Vulcan would come here in secret to consecrate demigod weapons. This is where Imperial gold was enchanted." Bucky wondered how that worked, Emily might know, but than again she may not know that fact.

"But we're not here because of that."

"No. There's an entrance - a tunnel that will lead us toward Nico. I can sense it close by. I'm not sure where." Frank grunted.

"If this building is two thousand years old, it makes sense there could be some kind of secret passage left over from the Roman days." Bucky looked around, Leo was aloa looking around. But than Leo turned toward a red marble altar looking thing with a statue of a Virgin Mary on the top.

"Over there." Leo marched love to the shrine, it was shaped like a fireplace and there was a name inscribed on it like a tomb. "The passage is around here. This guy's final resting place is in the way. Raphael somebody?"

"Famous painter, I think." Leo shrugged when Hazel said that.

"Hold on..." Bucky looked around, most of the tour groups were. It paying much attention to them for they were to busy gawking at the dome. But three tourist made Bucky uneasy, they were about fifty feet away form where Bucky and the others were. They were overweight middle aged men with American accents, Bucky could onto tell that from how loud they were conversing with each other. But there not watching them though, Bucky looked back at Leo as Leo slipped around the side of the tomb. He was running his hand down the back of a Roman column all the way down to it's base. When Leo reached the bottom that Bucky noticed a series of likeness been etched into the marble, Roman numerals

"Heh. Not very elegant, but effective."

"What is?"

"The combination for a lock." Leo was feeling around the bakx of the column for some more and found something, Bucky looked at it and saw a square hole about the size of an electrical socket. "The lock face itself has been ripped out - probably vandalized sometime in the last few centuries. But I should be able to control the mechanism inside, if I can..." Leo put his hand on the floor, Leo started to control it with his ability to guide it with the numbers. Bucky could here the click of the lock, on the floor next to the wall that one section of marble tile slid under another, revealing a dark square opening barely large enough to wiggle through.

Leo placed his hand on the marble floor. He could sense old bronze gears under the surface of the stone. Regular bronze would have corroded and become unusable long ago, but these were Celestial bronze - the handiwork of a demigod. With a little willpower, Leo urged them to move, using the Roman numerals to guide him. The cylinders turned - click, click, click. Then click, click.

"Romans must've been small." Leo looked at Frank. "You'll need to change into something thinner to get through here."

"That's not nice!"

"What? Just saying - "

"Don't worry about it. We should go get the others before we explore. That's what Piper said."

"They're halfway across the city.,Besides, uh, I'm not sure I can close this hatch again. The gears are pretty old."

"Great. How do we know it's safe down there?" Hazel knelt down and out her hand over the opening as if she was checking for something.

"There's nothing alive...at least not for several hundred feet. The tunnel slants down, then levels out and goes south, more or less. I don't sense any traps..."

"How can you tell all that?"

"Same way you can pick locks on marble columns, I guess. I'm glad you're not into robbing banks."

"Oh...bank vaults. Never thought about that."

"Forget I said anything. Look, it's not three o'clock yet. We can at least do a little exploring, try to pinpoint Arabella's and Nico's location before we contact the others. You four stay here until I call for you. I want to check things out, make sure the tunnel is structurally sound. I'll be able to tell more once I'm underground."

"We can't let you go by yourself. You could get hurt."

"Frank, I can take care of myself. Underground is my specialty. It's safest for all of us if I go first."

"Unless Frank wants to turn into a mole or a prairie dog. Those things are awesome."

"Shut up."

"Or a badger."

"Valdez, I swear - " Lauren looked over at Bucky of who mouthed, does it remind you of anyone? Bucky out his hand over her face, it sounded similar to how Bucky and Steve would tease and argue with each other.

"Both of you, be quiet. I'll be back soon. Give me ten minutes. If you don't hear from me by then...Never mind. I'll be fine. Just try not to kill each other while I'm down there." Hazel dropped down the hole, the four of them tried to look as normal and casual as they could be. Tour groups came and went, most paid no need to them but some looked at them apprehensively. Bucky had a feeling that it was partly because of his mechanical arm that he has, Bucky got use to it over the years even after hai memories return, though he was weary with at first more so with Emily than anything else. For his mechanical arm was rather strong and he didn't want to cause any harm to her, but he got use to putting it around her and she got used to it as well, for he knew when they resumed their relationship again that it seem off to her with his arm. Bucky noticed that the three Americans were still hanging around the middle of the roomy. One of them kept glancing at Bucky, Lauren, Frank and Leo with distaste. Than franks spoke.

"She talked to me earlier, Hazel told me you figured out about my lifeline." Bucky nearly forget about Frank, Leo stirred. Bucky looked at Frank and Leo before looking at Lauren of who shrugged.

"Your lifeline...oh, the burning stick. Right." Burning stick? Bucky had no idea what they were talking about.

"Look, man. It's cool. I'd never do anything to put you in danger. We're on the same team."

"I always knew fire could kill me, but since my grandmother's mansion burned down in Vancouver...it seems a lot more real." Leo nodded when Frank said that.

"Your grandmother - did she die in that fire? You didn't say."

"I - I don't know. She was sick, and pretty old. She said she would die in her own time, in her own way. But I think she made it out of the fire. I saw this bird flying up from the flames."

"So your whole family has the shape-changing thing?"

"I guess. My mom did. Grandmother thought that's what got her killed in Afghanistan, in the war. Mom tried to help some of her buddies, and...I don't know exactly what happened. There was a firebomb."

"So we both lost our moms to fire." Leo told them of the story of how his mother died, Bucky felt sorry for Leo, Bucky never really remember his mother, he only knew Steve's and Emily's father for a smart amount of time before their father died. Though he never heard of what happened to Lauren's mother, she never spoke of it or at least none that he ever heard.

"I never like it when people tell me, Sorry about your mom."

"It never feels genuine."

"But I'm sorry about your mom."

"Thanks." No sign of Hazel, the three Americans tourists were getting closer as they seem to trying to sneak up on them without noticing.

"Back at Camp Jupiter, our cabin Lar, Reticulus, told me I have more power than most demigods, being a son of Mars, plus having the shape-changing ability from my mom's side. He said that's why my life is tied to a burning stick. It's such a huge weakness that it kind of balances things out."

"We've all got weaknesses. Me, for instance. I'm tragically funny and good-looking."

"You might have weaknesses. But your life doesn't depend on a piece of firewood."

"No, I wonder..." Leo faltered as he looked across the room, Bucky looked over and saw the three American tourists were coming their way. They were making their way to the tomb and all three were glaring at Leo.

"Uh, Frank? Has it been ten minutes yet?" The odd thing was that the Americans' faces were angry and confused, like they were sleeping walking and they were in a nightmare. Than one of them called out.

"Leo Valdez." The voice was hollow, metallic, and he spoke like English was his second language. We meet again." All three tourists blinked and their eyes turned to solid gold.

"Eidolons!" The three Americans clenched their beefy fists, even though they were overweight that he has a feeling that they were still dangerous.

"They can't fit down the hole."

"Right, Underground is sounding really good." Leo changed into a snake and slithered over the edge, Leo, Bucky, and Lauren jumped in while the spirits began to wail above.

"Valdez! Kill Valdez!" Bucky wasn't sure if he could fit through or not since he was the biggest after Frank, but he managed to fit in he hole to his great surprise. The hatch above closed cutting off their pursuers but it also cut off all light as well, but they could deal with that. Bucky hoped that they didn't need to get out the same way they came into this tunnel. Frank must have turned into human form since Bucky could hear wheezing before Frank spoke.

"What now?"

"Okay, don't freak, I'm going to summon a little fire, just so we can see."

"Thanks for the warning." Leo's index finger blazed like a birthday candle, in front of them stretched a stone tunnel with a low ceiling. Just as Hazel predicted that it slanted down than leveled out before going south.

"Well. It only goes in one direction."

"Let's find Hazel." Bucky didn't have any problems with that. After a hundred feet or so that they turned a corner and found Hazel, in the light of her golden cavalry sword she was examining a door. She was so engrossed that she didn't notice them till Leo spoke.

"Hi." Hazel whirled, trying to swing her sword but it was too long to wield in the corridor.

"What are you doing here?"

"Sorry. We ran into some angry tourists." Leo told Hazel of what happened and Hazel hissed in frustration.

"I hate eidolons. I thought Piper made them promise to stay away."

"Oh...mPiper made them promise to stay off the ship and not possess any of us. But if they followed us, and used other bodies to attack us, then they're not technically breaking their vow..."

"Great, Eidolons who are also lawyers. Now I really want to kill them."

"Okay, forget them for now, This door is giving me fits. Leo, can you try your skill with the lock?" Leo cracked his knuckles.

"Stand aside for the master, please." Bucky looked at the door as Leo stepped forward, the door was coated in imperial gold and a mechanical sphere about the size of a bowling ball was embedded in the center. There were numbers and letters, what surprised Bucky was that the letters were Greek so he could read them.

"These letters are Greek."

"Well, lots of Romans spoke Greek."

"I guess. But this workmanship...no offense to you Camp Jupiter types, but this is too complicated to be Roman." Frank snorted.

"Whereas you Greeks just love making things complicated."

"Hey, All I'm saying is this machinery is delicate, sophisticated. It reminds me of..." Leo was staring at the sphere, as though he was trying to remember something. "It's a more advanced sort of lock. You line up the symbols on the different rings in the right order, and that opens the door."

"But what's the right order?"

"Good question. Greek spheres...astronomy, geometry... Oh, no way. I wonder...What's the value of pi?"

"What kind of pie?"

"He means the number,mI learned that in math class once, but - "

"It's used to measure circles. This sphere, if it's made by the guy I'm thinking of..." Lauren, Bucky, Hazel and Frank stared at him blankly.

"Never mind, I'm pretty sure pi is, uh, 3.1415 blah blah blah. The number goes on forever, but the sphere has only five rings, so that should be enough, if I'm right."

"And if you're not?"

"Well, then, Leo fall down, go boom. Let's find out!" Leo started to turn the rings starting outside and moved in. Nothing happened. "I'm stupid, Pi would expand outward, because it's infinite." He reversed the order of the numbers, starting in and moved his way out, when he aligned the last ring that something inside the sphere clicked and the door swiping open. Leo beamed. "That, good people, is how we do things in Leo World. Come on in!"

"I hate Leo World" Hazel laughed. Inside, the room was about the size of the forge back at camp Halfblood or from what Bucky could tell since he never been inside the forges at camp. There was bronzed topped work tables along the walls and baskets full of ancient metalworking tools. There were dozens of bronze and gold spheres, loose gears and wiring littered the floor. Thick metal cables ran from each tenable toward the back of the room, there was an enclosed loft like a theater's sound booth and here was stairs that led up to the booth on either side. All the cables seem to run into it. Next to the stairs on the left was a row of cubbyholes that were filled with leather cylinders. Bucky looked around, as he did so that he noticed Leo jumped when he glanced to his left. Bucky looked to where Leo glanced and was close of jumping out of his skin. Flanking the doorway were two armored manikins that were outfitted with full suits of roman armor, shield and sword. Leo walked up to one of them and spoke as he did so.

"Dude. These would be awesome if they worked." Frank edged away, Bucky couldn't blame him for it, the manikins were rather creepy. Though Bucky wasn't sure which was more creepy, the red skull taking off the fact mask or those manikins.

"Those things are going to come alive and attack us, aren't they?"

"Not a chance. They aren't complete." Leo tapped the neatest manikin's neck, Bucky realized that there was some loose cooper wires that from underneath the breastplate. "Look, the head's wiring has been disconnected. And here, at the elbow, the pulley system for this joint is out of alignment. My guess? The Romans were trying to duplicate a Greek design, but they didn't have the skill."

"The Romans weren't good enough at being complicated, I suppose."

"Or delicate or sophisticated."

"Hey, I just call it like I see it." Leo started to jiggle the manikin's head, making it nod like the manikin was agreeing with him. "Still...a pretty impressive try. I've heard legends that the Romans confiscated the writings of Archimedes, but - "

"Archimedes? Wasn't he an ancient mathematician or something?" Leo laughed when Hazel said that.

"He was a lot more than that. He was only the most famous son of Hephaestus who ever lived."

"I've heard his name before, but how can you be sure this manikin is his design?"

"It has to be! Look, I've read all about Archimedes. He's a hero to Cabin Nine. The dude was Greek, right? He lived in one of the Greek colonies in southern Italy, back before Rome got all huge and took over. Finally the Romans moved in and destroyed his city. The Roman general wanted to spare Archimedes, because he was so valuable - sort of like the Einstein of the ancient world - but some stupid Roman soldier killed him."

"There you go again. Stupid and Roman don't always go together, Leo."

"How do you know all this, anyway? Is there a Spanish tour guide around here?"

"No, man. You can't be a demigod who's into building stuff and not know about Archimedes. The guy was seriously elite. He calculated the value of pi. He did all this math stuff we still use for engineering. He invented a hydraulic screw that could move water through pipes."

"A hydraulic screw. Excuse me for not knowing about that awesome achievement."

"He also built a death ray made of mirrors that could burn enemy ships. Is that awesome enough for you?"

"I saw something about that on TV. They proved it didn't work."

"Ah, that's just because modern mortals don't know how to use Celestial bronze. That's the key. Archimedes also invented a massive claw that could swing on a crane and pluck enemy ships out of the water."

"Okay, that's cool. I love grabber-arm games."

"Well, there you go. Anyway, all his inventions weren't enough. The Romans destroyed his city. Archimedes was killed. According to legends, the Roman general was a big fan of his work, so he raided Archimedes's workshop and carted a bunch of souvenirs back to Rome. They disappeared from history, except... Here they are." Leo waved his hand around the work room, Bucky looked at Lauren of who looked almost as lost as Bucky, even though she had more time of being used to this and knowing more about the Greek myths than he did. Bucky had to count on Emily to learn about the Greek myths, Bucky wasn't sure what to say and neither did Lauren.

"Metal basketballs?"

"Guys, Archimedes constructed spheres. The Romans couldn't figure them out. They thought they were just for telling time or following constellations, because they were covered with pictures of stars and planets. But that's like finding a rifle and thinking it's a walking stick."

"Leo, the Romans were top-notch engineers. They built aqueducts, roads - "

"Siege weapons, Public sanitation."

"Yeah, fine. But Archimedes was in a class by himself. His spheres could do all sorts of things, only nobody is sure..." Leo paused, this his nose burst into flames, Bucky had to stop himself from laughing, Bucky had a better control over his fire. Not once did Bucky managed to light his nose on fire, or just a single part of his body. If he did lose control of it and he is around Emily that he didn't need to worry about it since she has the same ability though it came from Hestia as oppose to her godly parent. Leo managed to stop the flame before he ran tot he row of cubbyholes,

"Oh, gods. This is it!" Leo lifted out one of the scrolls. "Guys, this is the lost book! Archimedes wrote this, describing his construction methods, but all the copies were lost in ancient times. If I can translate this..." Bucky looked at Lauren and spoke.

"What is talking about." Lauren shrugged.

"No idea. When it comes to building things, don't to am to a child of Hephaestus or Athena. Because they would be doing what Leo is doing now." Bucky raised an eyebrow when Lauren said that. "I will admit that the are not as bad as Annabeth or Leo are but they could go on for hours about everything." Leo was paying no head to them nd he was murmuring to himself.

"The secrets of Archimedes. Guys, this is bigger than Daedalus's laptop. If there's a Roman attack on Camp Half-Blood, these secrets could save the camp. They might even give us an edge over Gaea and the giants!" Bucky, Lauren, Hazel and Frank glance at each other.

"Okay, We didn't come here for a scroll, but I guess we can take it with us."

"Assuming, that you don't mind sharing its secrets with us stupid uncomplicated Romans." Leo stared at Frank blankly.

"What? No. Look, I didn't mean to insult - Ah, never mind. The point is this is good news!" On the table next to Bucky, Lauren, Hazel, and Frank that one of the orbs clicked and a row of spindly legs extended from it's equator. The orb stood and four bronze cables shot out of the top, hitting Hazel, Frank, Lauren and Bucky. Bucky crumpled to the floor along with the other three and was knocked out. Bucky knew he was out for a little but, but he wasn't sure of what happened after that but he started to stir, but he heard a voice that didn't belong to anyone that he was with.

"Bah! Come! We will destroy the demigods ourselves."

"I don't think so, guys." It was leo, Bucky managed to open his eyes than and saw one of the manikins was moving. The one with the lion head shuddered and lowered his sword and Leo was grinning.

"You're in Leo World, now." Bucky say up as the lion head turned and stormed down the stairs, instead of advancing on the five of them that he marched up to the opposite stairs and faced his comrade.

"What are you doing? We have to - " The lion head slammed his shield into he wolf's head chest and smashed the pommel of his sword into his comrade's helmet. So that the wolf head became flat, deformed and not very happy wolf head and he wolf head started to shout again. "Stop that!"

"I cannot!" The lion head was wiling, Bucky smiled slightly. Both suits of armor drop their swords and shields before they started to slap each other.

"Valdez! You will die for this!"

"Yeah. Who's possessing who now, Casper?" The machine men tumbled down the stairs, before they started to jitterbug like 1920s flappers, he remembered seeing the pictures as young boy asking about the pictures. He couldn't remember of who he ask but he remembered the shock of the person when he asked that question,meh was to, three or even four at the time. Leo shouted at them. As the other spheres around the room began to pop.

"Frank, Hazel, Lauren, Bucky! Take cover!" Bucky was stilly dazed but not as much as the other three though, but they got his warning. Frank pulled Hazel under the newest table while Bucky and Lauren went under another table that was close by. Bucky noticed that Frank was shielded Hazel with his body, Bucky knows he would have done the same thing if Emily was here. Than Leo did something for the armored warriors blew apart, rods, and other things flew everywhere. Bucky could hear popping from the tables above his head, he figured it was the spheres that were popping. Than everything went quiet and the air smelled like burning car engines, as Bucky and Lauren got out from under the table that Leo races down the stairs.

"You're alive!"

"Yes, we are alive." Bucky was about ready to ask what happened but Hazel best him to it before he could go on.

"Uh, what exactly happened?"

"Archimedes came through! Just enough power left in those old machines for one final show. Once I had the access code, it was easy." Leo patted a sphere in his hand of which was steaming.

"The eidolons. Are they gone?" Leo grinned,

"My last command overloaded their kill switches - basically locked down all their circuits and melted their cores."

"In English?"

"I trapped the eidolons inside the wiring. Then I melted them. They won't be bothering anyone again." As Bucky had Lauren did their best to keep steady that Leo helped Frank and Hazel up onto their feet.

"You saved us."

"Don't sound so surprised." Bucky glanced around the destroyed workshop and out ornate corner of his eyes that he saw Leo do the same thing. "Too bad all this stuff got wrecked, but at least I salvaged the scrolls. If I can get them back to Camp Half-Blood, maybe I can learn how to recreate Archimedes's inventions." Hazel rubbed the side of her head.

"But I don't understand. Where is Arabella and Nico? That tunnel was supposed to lead us to Arabella and Nico."

"Oh. Hazel, how exactly were you tracking Arabella and Nico? I mean, could you just sense him nearby because they was your siblings?" Bucky looked at Hazel, she was still a bit wobbly from her electric shock that she got.

"Not - not totally. Sometimes I can tell when he's close, but, like I said, Rome is so confusing, so much interference because of all the tunnels and caves - "

"You tracked him with your metal-finding senses. His sword?"

"How did you know?"

"You'd better come here." Leo lead Hazel and Frank up to the control room and pointed to a black sword that looked similar to Emily's black sword. Hazel would have collapsed if Frank hadn't caught her.

"Oh. Oh, no. But that's impossible! Nico's sword was with him and Arabella in the bronze jar. Percy saw it in his dream!"

"Either the dream was wrong or the giants moved the sword here as a decoy."

"So this was a trap. We were lured here."

"But why? Where's my brother and sister?" A hissing sound filled the control booth, the bronze mirror on the table was steaming. A sleeping face of a woman appeared in he mirror, Bucky backed away when the face appeared.

'Ah, my poor demigods. You had your choice.' Her voice echoed through the rooms, it seemed to be coming from the mirror and the stone walls as well. Of which was freaking Bucky out. He knew that there was a bunch of things that comes from dating a demigod, married to a demigod or even being one, but this seem too much. It seem that Gaea, at least he was going to assume it was Gaea, was all around them. Considering she was the earth and they were in the earth. 'I offered salvation to all of you. You could have turned back. Now it is too late. You've come to the ancient lands where I am strongest - where I will wake.' Bucky pulled out his pen and he clicked it so it transformed into his sword, Lauren had pulled out her sword as well, Leo pulled a hammer from his tool belt., Leo whacked the mirror but it quivered lie a tea tray.

"In case you haven't noticed, Dirt Face, your little ambush failed. Your three eidolons got melted in bronze, and we're fine." Gaea laughed softly.

'Oh, my sweet Leo. You five have been separated from your friends. That was the whole point.' The workshop door slammed shut, Bucky panicked, how could he get back to Emily now. 'You are trapped in my , Annabeth Chase faces her death alone, terrified and crippled, at the hands of her mother's greatest enemy.' The image in the mirror changed, Bucky saw Annabeth sprawled on the floor of a dark cavern, holding her bronze dagger as if warding off a monsters her face was gaunt, her leg was wrapped in some sort of splint. Bucky couldn't see what Annabeth was looking at but it was something horrible though, somehow Bucky knew it was happening now. 'The others, Jason Grace, Piper McLean, Steve Rogers, Emily Barnes, and my dear friend Percy Jackson - they will perish within minutes.,

The scene changed again, Percy was holding riptide, leading Jason, Piper, Emily and Steve down a spiral staircase. He cousl see Emily had her bronze sword out and Steve had his shield on his back with his own sword in front of him. 'Their powers will betray them. They will die in their own elements. I almost hoped they would survive. They would have made a better sacrifice. But alas, Hazel and Frank, you will have to do. My minions will collect you shortly and bring you to the ancient place. Your blood will awaken me at last. Until then, I will allow you to watch your friends perish. Please...enjoy this last glimpse of your failed quest.'

Bucky couldn't stand it much longer, but it seem Leo best him to that. For Leo's hand glowed white hot, Lauren, Hazel, and Frank scrambled back as Leo pressed his palm against the mirror. So that it melted into a puddle of bronze goo. Bucky put his hand over his chest, he wasn't sure what could happen to Emily and the others. He remembered those fourteen or fifteen years of not seeing her and how his heart seem to be brewing though he didn't understood it. He remembered his whole,time as the winter solider and her face and everything about her was the only normal thing as his life as the winter soldier. He brought death and pain, but it seem that he brought the most pain to Emily and he has no plans to bring any more suffering between Emily and himself and heir future together. Thankfully the voice of Gaea went silent, Bucky looked down as Leo spoke.

"Sorry. She was getting annoying."

"What do we do? We have to get out and help the others." Bucky looked up as Leo scanned the workshop that was littered with pieces of broken spheres.

"I've got an idea. But it's going to take all five of us." Leo started telling them his plan.


	22. Chapter 22

Emily's pov

As Emily, Phil, Steve, and Aubrey made their way back to the ship that they ran into Percy of told them to come and kept running towards the ship. The other three looked at Emily of who shrugged, how should I know what is going on. When they made it to the park that the Argo II and she saw that Piper and Jason were sort of having a picnic or something like that. Before leaving the ship that she gave the horn of plenty to Piper for the time being till she came back. For the horn of plenty would have stood out too much when she was slaking around Rome. They gathered on the deck so that Gleeson could hear the story as well, when Percy finished that Emily raised an eyebrow. She never meet two two immortals but she was sure that they were not Gregory a peck and Aubrey Hepburn. It was Piper that spoke first.

"So Annabeth was kidnapped on a motor scooter by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn."

"Not kidnapped, exactly. But I've got this bad feeling..." Percy took a deep breath, like he was trying hard not to freak out. "Anyway, she's - she's gone. Maybe I shouldn't have let her, but - "

"You had to, You knew she had to go alone. Besides, Annabeth is tough and smart. She'll be fine." Emily could hear the charmspeak in Piper's voice, Percy seem to relax some, Emily put her hand on Percy's shoulder had he looked at her.

"Trust Piper, Annabeth will be fine. You know she will be, you know what she is like."

"Maybe you're right. Anyway, Gregory - I mean Tiberinus - said we had less time to rescue Nico and Arabella than we thought. Hazel and the guys aren't back yet?"

"It's two in the afternoon. We said three o'clock for a rendezvous."

"At the latest."

"I ought it was later than that, of course we didn't have a watch with us." The others chuckled when Emily said that. Than Percy pointed at Piper's dagger.

"Tiberinus said you could find Nico's and Arabella's location...you know, with that." Piper bit her lip.

"I've tried. The dagger doesn't always show what I want to see. In fact, it hardly ever does."

"Please. Try again." Emily tried not to snort with laughter as Percy pleaded, yes it was her half siblings that was at risk, but with how Percy's eyes were that she couldn't help the snort. For his eyes looked like a cute baby seal that needed help, Emily seen it before and she wondered of how Annabeth could win an argument in Percy.

"Fine." Piper sighed, and drew her dagger.

"While you're at it, see if you can get the latest baseball scores. Italians don't cover baseball worth beans."

"Shh." Emily watched as the light shimmered and rippled across the blade, there was ruins, Emily knew what it was at once to was the old forum.

"I was just there. That's in the old Forum." The view zoomed in, on one side of the stone floor was a set of stairs that been excavated leading down to a modern iron gate with a padlock. The image zoomed straight through the doorway down a spiral stairwell and into a dark cylindrical chamber like the inside of a grain solo. Piper dropped the blade and the image faded, Emily looked at Piper puzzled when she dropped the blade.

"What's wrong? It was showing us something."

"We can't go there."

"Piper, Nico and Arabella are dying. We've got to find them. Not to mention, Rome is about to get destroyed." Piper picked up the blade once more, the light shimmered again and two giants in gladiator armor were sitting on overtop sized praetors' chairs. They were toasted each other with golden goblets as if they won an important fight between them stood a large bronze jar. The vision zoomed in again, Emily gasp as it went inside the jar to reveal Arabella and Nico curled in a ball, no longer moving and all the pomegranate seeds eaten.

"We're too late." Emily refused to believe that he were late and was going to say so but Percy beat Emily to it.

"No, No, I can't believe that. Maybe he's gone into a deeper trance to buy time. We have to hurry." The blade's surface went dark and Piper slipped it back into it's sheath, it looked like her hands were shaking. Emily reached out and she could barely touch her connection to Nico and Arabella and she could tell that they are not dead or not yet.

"We should wait for the others. Bucky, Lauren, Hazel, Frank, and Leo should be back soon."

"We can't wait." Gleeson grunted.

"It's just two giants. If you guys want, I can take them."

"Uh, Coach, that's a great offer, but we need you to man the ship - or goat the ship. Whatever. As well as Jennifer, Phil and Aubrey." Phil shook his head before he looked at Emily.

"You know, after all this over, it would be hard to go back to what was I doing as well as no longer being called Phil." Emily smiled when Phil said that, she wondering of who was looking after S.H.I.E.L.D. with Phil here. However Gleeson didn't pay any attention to what Phil said and spoke.

"And let you five have all the fun?" Percy gripped Gleeson's arm.

"Hazel and the others need you here. When they get back, they'll need your leadership. You're their rock."

"Yeah. Leo always says you're his rock. You can tell them where we've gone and bring the ship around to meet us at the Forum."

"And here." Piper unstrapped her dagger and put it in Gleeson's hands. His eyes widen with shock, Emily looked at Piper wondering if there was something she saw in there that she didn't like.

"Keep an eye on us with the blade. And you can check the baseball scores." Gleeson nodded grimly and he seemed prepared for his part in the quest.

"All right. But if any giants come this way - "

"Feel free to blast them."

"What about annoying tourists?"

"No." All of them said it at the same time.

"Bah. Fine. Just don't take too long, or I'm coming after you with ballistae blazing." Finding the place was easy enough, Percy led them right to it, it was on an abandoned stretch or the hillside overlooking the ruined forum. Getting in was easy as well, Jason's gold sword cut through the padlock and the metal gate opened. No one saw them and no alarms went off, stone steps spiraled down into the gloom. Emily wondered what awaited down there and it was Jason who spoke first.

"I'll go first."

"No!" Emily, Steve, Percy and Jason looked at Piper.

"Pipes, what is it? That image in the blade...you've seen it before, haven't you?" Piper nodded and she looked close to tears.

"I didn't know how to tell you. I saw the room down there filling with water. I saw the three of us drowning." They all frowned.

"I can't drown." From how Percy said it that it sounded more like a question.m

"Maybe the future has changed. In the image you showed us just now, there wasn't any water."

"Look, I'll check it out first. It's fine. Be right back." Before any of them could say anything that Percy disappeared down the stairwell. It felt like forever but finally Percy came back of when it couldn't be more than a few minutes. "Good news: no water. Bad news: I don't see any exits down there. And, uh, weird news: well, you should see this..."

They descended cautiously, Percy took the lead with Piper right behind Percy, Jason was behind Piper with his gold sword out. Emily was behind Jason and she grasp her poppy and it changed into her bronze sword and Steve took out the sword that their mother gave to him with his Captain America shield on his back. Emily shifted the cornucopia that was on a leather cord over her shoulder, Emily was surprised that the river god gave it to her willingly. It seems that the old river god saw the good in she did for him as well as seeing she was a daughter of Demeter by brith. The stairwell was a cramped corkscrew of masonry no more than six feet in diameter. As they wound their way underground that Emily saw old graffiti gouged into the stone, it was filled with Roman numerals, names and phrases in Italian. Of which means mortals found this place before, recently as well, but she couldn't be sure of how recently that was. Than he reached the bottom and Percy turned.

"Watch this last step." He jumped to the floor of the cylindrical room, of which was five feet lower than the stairwell, Emily wondered why the stairwell would be like that or why it was designed like that. When Piper clambered down and Jason followed that Emily and Steve jumped down. The walls were curved and they were once painted with frescoes of which faded to egg shell white with only flecks of color. The domed ceiling was fifty feet above, around the back of the room were nine alcoves that were carved into the wall. Each niche was about five feet off the floor and big enough for a human sized statue but wand was empty. The sir felt cold and dry and there were no other exits.

"All right. Here's the weird part. Watch." Emily was wondering what so weird about this room, than Percy stepped to the middle of the room. Suddenly green and blue lights rippled across the walls, Emily could hear the sound of a fountain, but there was no water. There was no other lights but Percy's, Jason's, Emily's and Steve's blades but the weird thing was that she could smell the ocean.

"Do you smell the ocean?" Not only did she smell the salt water but the smell of a storm was getting stronger, like a summer hurricane was approaching.

"An illusion?" When Piper did thsr, that Emily felt thirsty for some odd reason,

"I don't know. I feel like there should be water here - lots of water. But there isn't any. I've never been in a place like this." Jason moved over to the row of niches and he touched the bottom shelf of the nearest one which was just at his eye level.

"This stone...it's embedded with seashells. This is a nymphaeum."

"A what?"

"We have one at Camp Jupiter, on Temple Hill. It's a shrine to the nymphs." Of course, how could Emily forget about that, well she hardly went up there expect to visit the Vesta, Ceres and Pluto temples. Emily went over to one and ran her hand along the bottom of another niche, the alcove was studded with cowries, conches and scallops. The seashells seem to dance in the watery light, they were ice cold to the touch. Emily knew that nymphs were friendly spirits, for the nymphs get soon very well with children of Demeter as well as children of Aphrodite. However this place didn't feel like the canoe lake back at Camp Halfblood, for this place felt unnatural, hostile and dry. "Shrines like this were all over the place in Ancient Rome. Rich people had them outside their villas to honor nymphs, to make sure the local water was always fresh. Some shrines were built around natural springs, but most were man-made."

"So...no actual nymphs lived here?"

"Not sure. This place where we're standing would have been a pool with a fountain. A lot of times, if the nymphaeum belonged to a demigod, he or she would invite nymphs to live there. If the spirits took up residence, that was considered good luck."

"For the owner. But it would also bind the nymphs to the new water source, which would be great if the fountain was in a nice sunny park with fresh water pumped in through the aqueducts - "

"But this place has been underground for centuries, Dry and buried. What would happen to the nymphs?" Suddenly the sound changes from the sound of water of a fountain to a chorus of hissing. The sound was the sound of ghost snakes of which made Emily's hair stand up or they felt lie they were standing up. The rippling of light shifted from sea blue and green to purple and sickly lime, above them that the nine niches glowed and they were no longer empty. Emily couldn't believe of what she was seeing when she looked at the niches above them. Standing on each of the niches was a withered old woman so dried up and brittle that they seem to be mummies. Their eyes were dark purple as if the clear blue water of their life source was condensed and thickened inside of them. The fine silk dresses that they were wearing were now tattered and faded, their hair looked like they were down in the style of a roman noble woman. Where the hair was piled into curls and arranged with jewels, but their locks were disheveled and dry as straw. It was almost looked at nine oracle mummies but there alive and breathing.

"What would happen to the nymphs?" The nymph in the center niche spoke, she was in worse shape than the others, her back was hunched like the handle of a pitcher. Her skeletal hands only had a thin papery layer of skin, on her head was a battered wreath of golden laurels that glinted in her road kill hair. Her eyes were fixed on Piper.

"What an interesting question, my dear. Perhaps the nymphs would still be here, suffering, waiting for revenge." Emily wasn't sure what to do, she didn't want to kill this poor nymphs, something happened to them clearly of what happen to them, Emily wasn't sure of what it was. Emily watched Piper turn, Emily turned and saw that the doorway disappeared, now there was nothin but a blank wall. Jason and Percy stood on either side of Piper while emit and Steve stood by each other with their swords in their hands.

"Who are you?" Emily wanted to know that, the central nymph turned her head to look at Percy.

"Ah...names. We once had names. I was Hagno, the first of the nine!"

"The nine. The nymphs of this shrine. There were always nine niches." Hagno bared her teeth in a vicious smile,

"Of course. But we are the original nine, Jason Grace, the ones who attended the birth of your father." Emily was shocked when she heard that, she thought that they were long died by now. Emily knows that they were. It like this when they were looking after Zeus, Emily looked at Jason as his sword dipper,d

"You mean Jupiter? You were there when he was born?"

"Zeus, we called him then. Such a squealing whelp. We attended Rhea in her labor. When the baby arrived, we hid him so that his father, Kronos, would not eat him. Ah, he had lungs, that baby! It was all we could do to drown out the noise so Kronos could not find him. When Zeus grew up, we were promised eternal honors. But that was in the old country, in Greece." The other nymphs wailed and clawed at their niches, they seemed to be trapped in them, that made Emily feel worse for this nymphs.

"When Rome rose to power, we were invited here. A son of Jupiter tempted us with favors. A new home, he promised. Bigger and better! No down payment, an excellent neighborhood. Rome will last forever." The other nymphs hissed at them.

"Forever."

"We gave in to temptation. We left our simple wells and springs on Mount Lycaeus and moved here. For centuries, our lives were wonderful! Parties, sacrifices in our honor, new dresses and jewelry every week. All the demigods of Rome flirted with us and honored us." The nymphs wailed and signed. "But Rome did not last. The aqueducts were diverted. Our master's villa was abandoned and torn down. We were forgotten, buried under the earth, but we could not leave. Our life sources were bound to this place. Our old master never saw fit to release us. For centuries, we have withered here in the darkness, thirsty...so thirsty." The others clawed at their mouths, Emily could feel her throat closing up.

"I'm sorry for you. That must have been terrible. But we are not your enemies. If we can help you - " Emily could hear the charmspeak but she wasn't sure if it would work or not.

"Oh, such a sweet voice! Such beautiful features. I was once young like you. My voice was as soothing as a mountain stream. But do you know what happens to a nymph's mind when she is trapped in the dark, with nothing to feed on but hatred, nothing to drink but thoughts of violence? Yes, my dear. You can help us." Percy raised his hand.

"Uh...I'm the son of Poseidon. Maybe I can summon a new water source."

"Ha!" Hagno cried when Percy said that and the other eight echoed, "Ha! Ha!"

"Indeed, son of Poseidon. I know your father well. Ephialtes and Otis promised you would come." Emily noticed that Piper put her hand on Jason's arm, like she was not balanced properly.

"The giants. You're working for them?" Hag no smiled.

"They are our neighbors. Their chambers lie beyond this place, where the aqueduct's water was diverted for the games. Once we have dealt with you...once you have helped us...the twins have promised we will never suffer again." Hagno turned to Jason, Emily had a feeling that this was not going to end well. "You, child of Jupiter - for the horrible betrayal of your predecessor who brought us here, you shall pay. I know the sky god's powers. I raised him as a baby! Once, we nymphs controlled the rain above our wells and springs. When I am done with you, we will have that power again. And Percy Jackson, child of the sea god...from you, we will take water, an endless supply of water."

"Endless? Uh...look, I don't know about endless. But maybe I could spare a few gallons."

"And you, Piper McLean. So young, so lovely, so gifted with your sweet voice. From you, we will reclaim our beauty." Than she looked at Emily and Steve.

"And Emily Barnes, we will take the immortality in you to help sustain our life force. And Steve Rogers, we will take the strength you have. We have saved our last life force for this day. We are very thirsty. From you five, we shall drink!" All nine niches glowed and the nymphs disappeared, water poured from their alcoves, slickly dark water that was like oil. Emily wished that she was at camp fishblood as the black water poured around her legs. There had to be something that they could do. The desk water kept rising, Emily wondered what to do, Emily looked at Steve of who looked just as confused as she did. The basin was filling up with alarming rate, Steve, Emily, Jason Piper, and Percy pounded on the walls looking for an exit but they found none. They managed to climb into the alcoves to gain some height but with the water pouring out of each niche that it was like trying to balance at the edge of a waterfall. The water was soon up to Emily's knees, from the floor it was most likely eight feet deep and was rising fast.

"I could try lightning. Maybe blast a hole in the roof?"

"That could bring down the whole room and crush us."

"Or electrocute us."

"Not many choices."

"Let me search the bottom. If this place was built as a fountain, there has to be a way to drain the thing. You guys, check the niches for secret exits. Maybe the seashells are knobs, or something."

"Percy, I don't think that is a good idea." Emily looked at the water. "This isn't normal water." Percy looked at Emily.

"We have to try something." Emily looked at the water before looking at left and nodded. Percy jumped into the water, Jason, Piper, Emily and Steve went from niche to niche kicking, pounding and wiggling the seashells embedded in the stone. None of the, had nay luck in finding a way out of this room, there must be a way out of this bloody room. Emily stopped pounding for a moment when the word bloody entered her mind, if she was on the surface she would have laughed at the though of her thinking bloody. But now wasn't the time though,suddenly Percy broke the surface, gasping and flailing. Piper offered her hand and she was close of being pulled in so Emily helped with pulls Percy up.

"Couldn't breathe. The water...not normal. Hardly made it back."

"I told you Percy. That this water is not normal. Something happened to this nymphs from between when this was stopped being use to now." Emily could feel the water rise around her and she could feel it affecting her, she felt like she was dying. It was affecting Steve as well, for he seem to be going back to how he was before the serum took affect. At the moment he was the same height as Emily was of which was weird. Emily noticed that she was becoming wrinkled and dry so was Piper of which was just wrong so very wrong. Jason was pale, he seem to be having trouble holding his sword like Percy, Emily and Steve. Percy was drenched and shivering, his hair didn't look as dark,MIT was like he color was draining out of him.

"They're taking our power. Draining us."

"Jason, do the lightning." Jason raised his sword, the room rumbled, but no lightning appeared. Instead a miniature rainstorm formed at the top of the chamber, rain poured down filing the fountain eve faster but it wasn't normal rain. The stuff was just as dark as the water in the pool, every drop stung Emily's skin.

"Not what I wanted." The water was up tot her necks, Steve was already back to how he was before he serum and his hair was drowning of color and he was struggling under the sword and the shield. Emily tried to help Steve but it was doing no good since she wasn't in much better shape.

"We'll survive." Percy started to push back the water with the back of his hand.

"Can't - can't control it!" Suddenly she felt the cornucopia grew warm and she suddenly knew what to do. They couldn't fight this, they had to hold it back format would make them weaker if they hold back. Emily shouted over the rain as the water went up further.

"We can't fight we hold back, that just makes us weaker." Jason shouted over the rain.

"What do you mean?" The water was up to their chins now, another few inches that they would have to swim it. The water wasn't halfway to the ceiling yet and she hoped that there still was time.

"The horn of plenty. We have to overwhelm the nymphs with fresh water, give them more than they can use. If we can dilute this poisonous stuff - "

"Can your horn do that?" Percy was struggling to keep his head above the water of which was a new experience for him. Percy looked scared out of his mind, Emily couldn't blame Percy for that, for he never been in a position of where eh couldn't breath underwater.

"Only with your help." Emily understood of how the horn worked, Emily remembered when she sent the diet coke and diet Pepsi aboard that she had to use her experiences with Dionysus in order to do that. But Emily needed to go deeper than she had done before, she needed all their help in order to do this. "I need you four to channel everything you've got into the cornucopia. Percy, think about the sea."

"Salt water?"

"Doesn't matter! As long as it's clean. Jason, think about rainstorms - much more rain. Piper think of the surfing you did with your dad. Steve, think of the times when we were four to six of when our father took use to the ocean as well as the lake at camp. The four of you hold the cornucopia." They huddled together as the water lifted them off their ledges, Emily tried to remember the time she had been to the sea and played there as well as the times she went to the lake at camp to go swimming with Lauren. Emily he or arm around Steve and Piper had both arms around Percy and Jason and one of her hands was touching the horns of plenty like Emily and the others, but nothing was happening. The ran came down in sheets still deke and acidic. The rising water was swirling threatening to pull her under and her strength was fading,

"No good!" Jason was spitting our water.

"We're getting nowhere."

"You have to work together. All four of you think of clean water - a storm of water. Don't hold anything back. Picture all your power, all your strength leaving you. More so with you, Percy as well as Jason."

"That's not hard!"

"But force it out! Offer up everything, like - like you're already dead, and your only goal is to help the nymphs. It's got to be a gift...a sacrifice." They got quiet at that word,

"Let's try again. Together." Emily put all of her concentration toward the horn of plenty, they wanted her immortality, so let them have it. Suddenly clear water blasted from the horn with such force that it pushed them against the wall. The rain changed to a white torrent, so clean and cold that it made Emily gasp.

"It's working!"

"Too well. We're filling the room even faster!" He was right, the water was rising quicker, the roof was only a few feet away. Emily shouted over the rain

"Don't stop! We have to dilute the poison until the nymphs are cleansed." Piper shouted.

"We need to do everything we can to,cleanse this place. Like Emily said we need to cleanse this nymphs."

"What if they can't be cleansed? They've been down here turning evil for thousands of years." It was Piper who spoke this time.

"Just don't hold back. Give everything. Even if we go under - " Emily's head hit the ceiling, the rain clouds dissipated and melted into the water, the horn of plenty kept blasting out a clean torrent. Emily watched as Piper pulled Jason closer and kissed him.

"I love you." Emily held her breath as the current roared in her ears, bubbles swirled around her, light was still rippled through the room. Emily was surprised she could see it, it seem like the water was getting clearer, but her lungs felt like they were going to burst. Emily poured out her last energy into the horn of plenty as water went on streaming out of it. There was no room for more, Emily wondered what would happen now there was no more room. Suddenly her vision went dark, than Emily heard roaring, she thought it was her heartbeat at first. But than Emily realized it was not her but the room itself, the water swirled faster and she could feel herself sinking. With the last of her strength that Emily kicked upward, her head broke the surface and she gasped for breath. Than Piper and Steve broke the surface and gasp for air. The horn of plenty stopped pouring water out of it, the water was draining almost as fast as it filled the room.

Piper cried out and Emily realized that Percy and Jason were still underwater, Steve and Emily helped Jason up with Piper helped Percy. When Percy reached the air that Percy gulped and began to thrash around but Jason was as lifeless as a rag doll. As the water went down that they were back to how they were before the water started to fill up the room. Piper was clinging onto Jason as the water went down, it seem like she hardly noticed when the water drained away and left them on the damp floor. Piper was yelling Jason's name as week as shaking him and slapped his face, Emily couldn't seen any injuries. Emily figured Jason had too much water in him at the moment that he can't breath.

"Jason!"

"Piper, I can help." Percy knelt next to her and touched Jason's for head, water gushed from Jason's mouth. Jason's eyes flew open and a clap of thunder threw Percy and Piper backwards, but Steve and took his shield from his back and went tin front of Emily before the thunder hit them and the thunder rolled off the shield. Steve lowered his shield as Jason started coughing and gasping, Emily ran over to Jason and Steve followed.

"Jason, are you all right?"

"In a minute, I will be fine." Jason started to sit up as Piper and Percy managed to come around again. Jason was still gasping and he coughed as he spoke.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to - " Piper tackled Jason with a hug, Emily smiled lightly when piper hugged him. Emily stood up and looked seound, she thought she would feel her immortality be gone or something. For before they used the horn that she felt it go away almost for she felt raw almost like she was a full Kerala again. But her skin was still slightly tanned and it still gave that healthy glow she gained when she become immortal. However it wasn't really noticeable though when one looks at her. Percy was grinning.

"In case you're wondering, that was clean water in your lungs. I could make it come out with no problem."

"Thanks, man. But I think Emily and Piper are the real heroes. They saved us all." Emily was a out ready to say something but a voice echoed through the chamber.

'Yes, they did.' The niches glowed, nine figures appeared, but they were no longer withered creatures. Emily smiled when she saw how they looked now, for they were young beautiful nymphs in shimmering blue silk gowns. Their glossy black curls pinned up with silver and gold brooches, their eyes were gentle shades of blue and grew. As Emily looked at them her eight of the nine nymphs dissolves into vapor and floated upward. Only the nymph in the center remained.

The niches glowed. Nine figures appeared, but they were no longer withered creatures. They were young, beautiful nymphs in shimmering blue gowns, their glossy black curls pinned up with silver and gold brooches. Their eyes were gentle shades of blue and green. It was Piper that spoke.

"Hagno?" The nymph smiled.

"Yes, my dear. I didn't think such selflessness existed in mortals...especially in demigods. No offense." Percy got to his feet.

"How could we take offense? You just tried to drown us and suck out our lives." Hagno winced.

"Sorry about that. I was not myself. But you have reminded me of the sun and the rain and the streams in the meadows. Percy and Jason, thanks to you, I remembered the sea and the sky. I am cleansed. But mostly, thanks to Emily and Piper. They shared something even better than clear running water." Hagno turned to Emily and Piper. "You have a good nature, Piper. And I'm a nature spirit. I know what I'm talking about. So do you, Emily. Being born a daughter of Demeter, this is to be expected. You know nature and life better than any of your half sibling before and since your birth. You helped me to see it once again, for this I thank you. You also understand the value of life better than anyone else." Hagno than looked at Emily's stomach, when Hagno did that, that Emily knew that she knows Emily was pregnant. Emily out her hand over her stomach than Hagno looked up at Emily.

"I expect you to pass that knowledge to your child." Emily knew the others were looking at her shocked when Hagno said that, but Emily didnzmt look at them. Hagno pointed to the other side of the room and the stairs to the surface reappeared. Directly underneath was a circular opening shimmered into existence like a sewer pipe. It was just big enough to crawl through Emily figured that was how the water drained out in the first place. "You may return to the surface or if you insist, you may follow the waterway to the giants. But choose quickly, because both doors will fade soon after I am gone. That pipe connects to the old aqueduct line, which feeds both this nymphaeum and the hypogeum that the giants call home."

"Ugh. Please, no more complicated words." When hat I spoke that she sounded sincere.

"Oh, home is not a complicated word. I thought it was, but now you have unbound us from this place. My sisters have gone to seek new homes...a mountain stream, perhaps, or a lake in a meadow. I will follow them. I cannot wait to see the forests and grasslands again, and the clear running water."

"Uh, things have changed up above in the last few thousand years."

"Nonsense, How bad could it be? Pan would not allow nature to become tainted. I can't wait to see him, in fact." Emily looked at Percy, Emily bit her lip, she knows pan was died. It seem Percy wanted to tell her that but he seem to stop himself though.

"Good luck, Hagno. And thank you." The nymph smiled one last time and vaporized. Briefly the nymphs emu glowed with a softer light like a full moon, Emily could smell exotic spices and blooming roses. She could almost hear distant music and happy voice and laughter. It was almost like people were celebrating that the five of them lived through this.

"What is that?" Emily watched as Piper slipped her hand into Jason's hand.

"The ghosts are dancing. Come on. We'd better go meet the giants." Emily smiled lightly, it seemed like as if ghosts were really dancing here. Than Steve spoke.

"There are two giants right?" Emily looked at him when he said that.

"Yes, why?" Steve raised his sword and looked at her before he spoke.

"Cut off one head." Emily smiled when Steve said that, Emily crossed her sword with Steve's.

"Two more shall take it's place." Steve pushed down the the swords so that they were facing the wall instead of the ceiling.

"Let's go find two giants!" The other three didn't understood the joke between Emily and Steve and what they did with their swords. Neither Emily or Steve expected them to. After Emily and Steve did that, that they entered the drainage pipe, Percy lead the way while Emily took the back. After thirty feet that it opened into a wider tunnel, Emily could hear rumbling and creaking like a huge machine that needed to be oiled. As soon as they entered the wider tunnel that Steve turned to her and spoke.

"Emily, are you really pregnant?" Emily put her hand over her stomach.

"I am."

"When were you planning on tell me?" Emily shrugged.

"In two weeks at the earliest."

"Why not when Lauren brought she was pregnant, two weeks ago?"

"Because the child convinced a few hours earlier." Silence fell upon them, after a few moments Jason spoke.

"Wait, you are only two weeks pregnant?"

"About, yes."

"How can you know that?"

"Because I am the champions or Hestia and I can sense family connection no matter good or bad. When there is some one I know that is pregnant that I will goins out between two weeks to a month. I am the only expedition to this, for the moment I am with a child I will know, my Hestia abilities have been going crazy in that area for the past two weeks. For it is a little difficult for me not to know if I am not pregnant." After a few moments that Percy spoke up.

"We can talk about this later. We need to find Arabella and Nico." So they went on walking of which didn't last for too long, for they reached a turn in the tunnel a few hundred feet later. Percy held up his hand signaling them to stop and wait, so they stood there and waited for Percy to tale a look.,

Percy took the lead as they crawled down the drainage pipe. After thirty feet, it opened into a wider tunnel. To their left, somewhere in the distance, Percy heard rumbling and creaking, like a huge machine needed oiling. He had absolutely no desire to find out what was making that sound, so he figured that must be the way to go. Emily and Steve created up behind Percy and looked around the corner. The corridor opened into a vast room, it has twenty feet ceilings and rows of support columns. The creaking and rumbling came from huge gears and pulls systems that raised and lowered sections of the floor for no reason that Emily could see. Water flowed through open trenches, Emily wasn't thrilled to see the water in the trenches after what happened, he water was powering water wheels that turned some of the machines. Other machines were connected to huge hamster wheels with hellhounds inside, Emily couldn't think of how much Cerberus, Fluffy or Mrs. O'Leary would hate being trapped inside one of those things.

Fluffy didn't like Hogwarts too much when Fluffy was inside the castle and he was all to happy to be back in the underworld. Besides the hellhounds what else broke Emily's heart was the cages suspended from the ceiling. The cages on the ceiling had a bunch of live animals, a lion, several zebras, a whole pack of hyenas and even an eight headed hydra. Emily couldn't care less about the hydra whether it was a hydra soldier or even the actually hydra monster itself. But the rest of the animals she could see that she felt bad for, she may not be a child of Pan or even a hunter, but she hates to see wild animals locked up like this. As Emily looked around that she thought of Leo and how much he would love seeing those machines at work. Actually Emily could see every child of Hephaestus, that ever lived, wanting to see how those machines work in this room.

"What is it?" Emily wasn't sure how to answer or even what she could answer Piper. Percy gestured forward to Piper and Jason since Emily and Steve were already there and could see the room. As Piper and Jason looked around e corner that a life sized wooden dour out of a gladiator popped up from the floor. It clicked and whirred along a conveyor belt, it got hooked on a rope, and ascended through a slot in the roof.

"What the heck?" They stepped inside, Emily scanned the room. Than Emily spotted what she was looking for, she was close of crying in joy for she felt relief spread through even if Nico and Arabella were still in the jar. For there was a raised dais with two empty oversized praetor chairs and standing between them was a bronze jar big enough to hold a person. Emily could see their life auras and they were still alive but barely. Percy noticed it for he spoke and pointed at the jar.

"Look."

"That's too easy."

"Of course."

"But we have no choice. We've got to save Nico and Arabella."

"Yeah." Emily went first and started across the room, she was picking her way around the conveyor belts and moving platforms. The hellhounds in the hamster wheels paid no heed to Emily and the others, Emily wanted to set them free but she needed to get to Nico and Arabella. The other animals gave them bored looks as if spot say that they would kill them but it would take too much energy. Emily looked out for traps but it was difficult since the machines could work as traps as well as normal demigod traps. They jumped a water trench and ducked under a row of cages wolves, they were halfway there when the ceiling over them opened. A platform lowered and standing on it like an actor, with one hand raised and his head high was a purple haired giant, Emily assumed that this was Ephialtes.

Ephialtes was rather small for a giant, he was about twelve feet tall but it seems like he was trying to make it up with his loud outfit. He was a Hawaiian shirt that even Dionysus would have Rouen vulgar of which was saying something. It has a garish print made up of dying heroes, horrible tortures, and lions eating slaves in the colosseum. The giant's hair was braided with god and silver coins, he has a ten feet Speer strapped to his back. He was wearing bright white jeans and leather sandals on his snakeheads that make up his feet. The snakes flicked their tongues and writhed as if they didn't like the idea that they were feet. Ephialtes was smiling at them as if he was really pleased to see them. Emily wished she could back to the days of World War II, for things were much simpler back than than they are now. Even the godly world was more simple back than of which was saying something. Than Ephialtes bellowed.

"At last! So very happy! Honestly, I didn't think you'd make it past the nymphs, but it's so much better that you did. Much more entertaining. You're just in time for the main event!" Jason and Piper closed ranks on either side of Percy, Emily and Steve stood by each other. Emily wished Bucky was here but she was glad it was Steve, for Steve was one of the ones she wanted to have her back at a time like this. Bucky and Lauren were the other two that she would want to have her back, there were a few others but Steve, Bucky and Lauren were her first choices. Arabella was very close,of joint the first choices, but it would be hard for Arabella to join the fight at the moment.

"We're here. Let our friends go."

"Of course! Though I fear he's a bit past his expiration date. Otis, where are you?" A stone was throw away and the floor opened, the other tints rose on a platform. "Otis, finally! You're not dressed the same as me! You're... What are you wearing?" That was a good question, for Otis looked like the world's largest, as well as the ugliest, grumpiest ballet dance. He wore skin tight baby blue leotard, Emily wished that the giant put on what his brother was wearing. The toes of his massive dancing slippers were cut away so that his snakes could protrude. A diamond tiara was nestled in his green firecracker braided hair, he looked glum and miserably uncomfortable. But he, somehow, managed a dancer's now of which couldn't be easy with the snakes or the spear on his back. "Gods and Titans! It's showtime! What are you thinking?"

"I didn't want to wear the gladiator outfit, I still think a ballet would be perfect, you know, while Armageddon is going on. I have some extra costumes - "

"No!" Emily had to agree with Ephialtes on at fact, she wasn't going to wear a ballet costume. She already and a skin tight uniform as well as Steve, she didn't need any more than that. Than Ephialtes faced Percy and he was grinning painfully.

"Please excuse my brother. His stage presence is awful, and he has no sense of style."

"Okay. Now, about our friends..." Ephialtes sneered.

"Oh, them, We were going to let them finish dying in public, but they have no entertainment value. They have spent the days curled up sleeping. What sort of spectacle is that? Otis, tip over the jar." Otis trudged over to the dais, he knocked over the jar and the lid popped off. Emily was close of crying out when Arabella and Nico spilled out, she was close to tears when she looked at them. They were close to death, but they were not dead thankfully, but they looked like it though. For Nico and Arabella were deathly pale and were too skinny, Emily wanted to go over to them to check on them. But Ephialtes was in her way.

"Now we have to hurry. We should go through your stage directions. The hypogeum is all set!" Emily was ready for anything and everything, she didn't come half way around the world to save her siblings and to stop Gaea to be stopped here, not now. Otis was standing over Nico and Arabella and they were in no condition to defend themselves. Emily raised her bronze sword as well as Steve and Jason raised hair gold sword.

"We're not going to be part of any show. And what's a hypo - whatever-you-call-it?"

"Hypogeum! You're a Roman demigod, aren't you? You should know! Ah, but I suppose if we do our job right down here in the underworks, you really wouldn't know the hypogeum exists."

"I know that word. It's the area under a coliseum. It housed all the set pieces and machinery used to create special effects." Emily looked at Piper when she said that, Emily figured of how Piper knows that word.

"Exactly so! Are you a student of the theater, my girl?"

"Uh...my dad's an actor."

"Wonderful!" Ephialtes turned toward his brother. "Did you hear that, Otis?"

"Actor. Everybody's an actor. No one can dance."

"Be nice! At any rate, my girl, you're absolutely right, but this hypogeum is much more than the stageworks for a coliseum. You've heard that in the old days some giants were imprisoned under the earth, and from time to time they would cause earthquakes when they tried to break free? Well, we've done much better! Otis and I have been imprisoned under Rome for eons, but we've kept busy building our very own hypogeum. Now we're ready to create the greatest spectacle Rome has ever seen - and the last!" At Otis's feet Nico and Arabella shuddered, Emily was glad of the fact that they were moving now, even if it was only a small amount of movement.

"So!mStage directions, you said?"

"Yes! Now, I know the bounty stipulates that you and the girl Annabeth should be kept alive if possible, but honestly, the girl is already doomed, so I hope you don't mind if we deviate from the plan." Emily,looked at Percy when Ephialtes said that, Emily knows that not all heroes get a happy ending, but she hoped that Percy as well as other demigods would have a break from wars after the Titan war a year ago or about a year ago.

"Already doomed. You don't mean she's - "

"Dead? No. Not yet. But don't worry! We've got your other friends locked up, you see." Piper made a strangled sound when Ephialtes said that, Emily was close of crying out.

"Leo? Hazel and Frank?"

"Bucky and Lauren?"

"Those are the ones. So we can use them for the sacrifice. We can let the Athena girl die, which will please Her Ladyship. And we can use you three for the show! Gaea will be a bit disappointed, but really, this is a win-win. Your deaths will be much more entertaining." Jason snarled.

"You want entertaining? I'll give you entertaining." Piper stepped forward, somehow she manger a sweet smile.

"I've got a better idea. Why don't you let us go? That would be an incredible twist. Wonderful entertainment value, and it would prove to the world how cool you are." Nico and Arabella stirred and pits looked down at them, his snaky feet flicked their tongues at their heads.

"Plus! Plus, we could do some dance moves as we're escaping. Perhaps a ballet number!" Otis seem to forget about Arabella and Nico before he lumbered over to Ephialtes and wagged his finger.

"You see? That's what I was telling you! It would be incredible!" Emily thought it was going to work, that Piper pulled it off. Otis was looking at Otis imploringly, Ephialtes tugged at his chin as if he was considering the idea. But than he shook his head,

"No...no, I'm afraid not. You see, my girl, I am the anti-Dionysus. I have a reputation to uphold. Dionysus thinks he knows parties? He's wrong! His revels are tame compared to what I can do. That old stunt we pulled, for instance, when we piled up mountains to reach Olympus - "

"I told you that would never work."

"And the time my brother covered himself with meat and ran through an obstacle course of drakons - "

"You said Hephaestus-TV would show it during prime time. No one even saw me."

"Well, this spectacle will be even better. The Romans always wanted bread and circuses - food and entertainment! As we destroy their city, I will offer them both. Behold, a sample!" So ring dropped fell from the ceiling and landed at Percy's feet, a loaf of bread in a white plastic wrapper with red and yellow dots. Percy picked it up, Emily,looked at the twin giants confused.

"Wonder bread?"

"Magnificent, isn't it? You can keep that loaf. I plan on distributing millions to the people of Rome as I obliterate them."

"Wonder bread is good. Though the Romans should dance for it." Emily glances at Nico and Arabella of who were starting to move. Arabella had managed to look up, she looked a bit surprised to see Emily standing there as well as Steve. Emily gave her a look that told her to not to say anything and at least try to crawl away. Percy went on talking to the giants to directed their attention to Percy and away from Nico and Arabella.

"Maybe, you should bring our other friends here. You know, spectacular deaths...the more the merrier, right?" Ephialtes fiddled with a button on his Hawaiian shirt.

"Hmm. No. It's really too late to change the choreography. But never fear. The circuses will be marvelous! Ah...not the modern sort of circus, mind you. That would require clowns, and I hate clowns."

"Everyone hates clowns. Even other clowns hate clowns."

"Exactly. But we have much better entertainment planned! The five of you will die in agony, up above, where all the gods and mortals can watch. But that's just the opening ceremony! In the old days, games went on for days or weeks. Our spectacle - the destruction of Rome - will go on for one full month until Gaea awakens." Emily panicked, for more than just Gaea waking up, for that was the day after Arabell's birthday was well as when a couple of Arabella's friends get married as well.

"Wait, One month, and Gaea wakes up?" Ephialtes waved the question away when Jason asked it.

"Yes, yes. Something about August First being the best date to destroy all humanity. Not important! In her infinite wisdom, the Earth Mother has agreed that Rome can be destroyed first, slowly and spectacularly. It's only fitting!"

"So... You're Gaea's warm-up act." Ephialtes's face darkened at those words.

"This is no warm-up, demigod! We'll release wild animals and monsters into the streets. Our special effects department will produce fires and earthquakes. Sinkholes and volcanoes will appear randomly out of nowhere! Ghosts will run rampant."

"The ghost thing won't work. Our focus groups say it won't pull ratings."

"Doubters!mThis hypogeum can make anything work!" Ephialtes stormed over to a big table covered with a sheet, he pulled the sheer away. Revealing a collection of levers and knobs that were just as complicated looking as the control panel on the Argo II.

"This button? This one will eject a dozen rabid wolves into the Forum. And this one will summon automaton gladiators to battle tourists at the Trevi Fountain. This one will cause the Tiber to flood its banks so we can reenact a naval battle right in the Piazza Navona! Percy Jackson, you should appreciate that, as a son of Poseidon!"

"Uh...I still think the letting us go idea is better."

"He's right. Otherwise we get into this whole confrontation thing. We fight you. You fight us. We wreck your plans. You know, we've defeated a lot of giants lately. I'd hate for things to get out of control."

"You're right." Emily was surprised by what Ephialtes said as well.

"I am?"

"We can't let things get out of control. Everything has to be timed perfectly. But don't worry. I've choreographed your deaths. You'll love it." Arabella and Nico started to crawl away, Arabella wasn't making any sounds but Nico was groaning. She wanted to ban her sword against Nico for maki so much noise that the giants would notice what they were doing. Jason switched his sword hand.

"And if we refuse to cooperate with your spectacle?"

"Well, you can't kill us. You have no gods with you, and that's the only way you could hope to triumph. So really, it would be much more sensible to die painfully. Sorry, but the show must go on." Emily didn't thing that Ephialtes was the anti Dionysus, he was more like Dionysus gone crazy on steeds. Percy looked at them.

"I'm getting tired of this guy's shirt."

"I'm getting tired of that's guys leotard." Emily handed the horn of plenty to Piper of who took it from her.

"Combat time?"

"I hate Wonder bread."

"I hate both of them." Emily merely smirked when Steve said that, Emily figured Steve mainly said that because Emily, Percy, Piper and Jason said something. When Steve said that, that they charged. Things went wrong at once, the tints vanished in smoke and reappeared halfway across the room in different spots no less. Percy went towards Ephialtes but Emily and Piper went towards Nico and Arabella, they crossed across fiery pits to get to them. Nico and Arabella were being stalked by a pair of leopards. Jason and Steve charge at Otis. Emily and Piper managed to get to Nico and Arabella before the leopard did, emily and Piper stood over guard Arabella and Nico. Emily still had her bronze sword in her hand, Piper was aiming the horn of plenty over the heads of the leopards. A pot roast shot over the heads of the leopards and they went after it, Emily was rather glad that she has that thing now.

It was than that Emily noticed that the hydra was out of it's cage and that Percy was battling it as well as Steve. Percy managed to get to one of the guns in this room and he yelled at them.

"Duck and cover!" Steve got off the hydra and rolled to one side, as something fired at the hydra. The hydra vaporized right off, but the recoil knocked the easel sideways and sent more projectiles all over the room. A chunk of the ceiling collapsed and cursed a waterwheel, more cages snapped off their chains. Two zebras and a pack of hyenas were set free and they ran out of the room, a grenade exploded over Ephialtes's head but it only blasted him off his feet, the control board didn't look like it was damaged. Sandbags rained down on Emily, Piper, Nico and Arabella, Emily managed to pull Arabella to safety but Piper wasn't as lucky. For one of the bats caught her shoulder knocking her down.

"Piper!" Jason started to ran toward her, he forget about the giant he was fighting of who was aiming a spear at his back. Before Emily could cry out at Percy yelled.

"Look out!" Jason was quick and he rolled to one side and the spear sailed over him. Jason flicked his hand and summoned a gust of wind that changed the spear's direction. It flew across the room and skewered Ephialtes through his side as he was getting to his feet. Ephialtes began to crumble to monster dust.

"Otis! Will you please stop killing me!"

"Not my fault!" The missile shot one last sphere of Roman candle fire and it hit the ceiling above Otis. That section of the roof collapsed on Otis crushing him flat. Emily ran over to Nico as Steve ran over to where Emily and Arabella were. Jason ran over to Piper's side, Piper yelped when he touched piper's arm, Nico sat up, looking around bewilderment. Steve knelt down next to Emily as she hugged Nico while Arabella managed to get over to Emily and Nico. Arabella managed to hug both Nico and Emily, however the battle wasn't over, for Emily looked over to the mound of dust that was reforming. Ephialtes as glowered at Percy and the pile of rubble shifted than Otis busted out, his head was slightly caved in. All the firecracker popped from his hair, his braids were still smoking and his leotard was in tatters making him look worse. Emit let to of Nico as Jason yelled at Percy.

"Percy! The controls!" Percy unfroze and grabbed riptide from his pocket before uncapping it before lunging at the switchboard. Percy slashed the blade across the top destroying most of the controls.

"No! You've ruined the spectacle!" Emily yelled.

"Watch out, Percy." Percy turned too slowly, Ephialtes swung his spear like a bat smacked Percy across the chest, he fell to his knees. Jason ran to Percy's side while Emily and Steve managed to pull Nico, Arabella and Piper to safety. Emily had to help Piper get up by lifting the sandbag enough to get her up, Nico as barely conscious but Arabella was a little more conscious that Nico. Emily knew the giants were getting stronger by the minute, the only way to get out of this mess was to have a god.

"Tired, Percy Jackson? As I said, you cannot kill us. So I guess we're at an impasse. Oh, wait...no we're not! Because we can kill you!"

"That," Otis picked up his fallen spear, "is the first thing sensible thing you've said all day, brother." The two giants pointed their weapons ready to kill Percy and Jason.

"We won't give up. We'll cut you into pieces like Jupiter did to Saturn."

"That's right, You're both dead. I don't care if we have a god on our side or not." Emily looked at Steve, they were more or less guarding Nico, Arabella and Piper. But the question was should one of them try to help Percy and Jason. Steve was looking at her and he was asking the same question as she was asking him but a new voice spoke.

"Well, that's a shame." Another platform was lowered from the ceiling, leaning casually on a pincecone topped staff was a man. He was wearing a purple camp shirt, khaki shorts, sandals with white socks and a broad brimmed hat. He raised his hat and purple fire flickered in his eyes. "I'd hate to think I made a special trip for nothing." Everything seem to went quite when Dionysus entered the room, the machines went to a halt and the animals stopped growling. The two leopards paced over and butted their heads affectionately against the god's legs and Dionysus scratched their ears. "Really, Ephialtes. Killing demigods is one thing. But using leopards for your spectacle? That's over the line."

"This - this is impossible. D-D - "

"It's Bacchus, actually, my old friend. And of course it's possible. Someone told me there was a party going on." It was still had to believe the change between Dionysus and Bacchus, appearance wise, the change affected Dionysus a lot. Ephialtes's spear was quivered.

"You - you gods are doomed! Be gone, in the name of Gaea!"

"Hmm." Bacchus didn't seem too impress and he stroled through the ruined props and other things. "Tacky." Bacchus waved his hand at a painted wooden gladiator before Bacchus turned to a machine that looked like an oversized rolling pin studded with knives. "Cheap. Boring. And this..." Bacchus was looking at the rocket-launching contraption, which was still smoking. "Tacky, cheap, and boring. Honestly, Ephialtes. You have no sense of style."

"STYLE? I have mountains of style. I define style. I - I - "

"My brother oozes style."

"Thank you!" Bacchus stepped forward and the giants stumbled back.

"Have you two gotten shorter?"

"Oh, that's low, I'm quite tall enough to destroy you, Bacchus! You gods, always hiding behind your mortal heroes, trusting the fate of Olympus to the likes of these." Ephialtes sneered at Percy and Jason hefted his sword.

"Lord Bacchus, are we going to kill these giants or what?"

"Well, I certainly hope so. Please, carry on." Emily,stared at Bacchus, like you kidding right.

"Didn't you come here to help?" Bacchus shrugged.

"Oh, I appreciated the sacrifice at sea. A whole ship full of Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. Very nice."

"And six million in gold and jewels."

"Yes, although with demigod parties of five or more the gratuity is included, so that wasn't necessary."

"What?"

"Never mind. At any rate, you got my attention. I'm here. Now I need to see if you're worthy of my help. Go ahead. Battle. If I'm impressed, I'll jump in for the grand finale."

"We speared one, Dropped the roof on the other. What do you consider impressive?"

"Ah, a good question... Perhaps you need inspiration! The stage hasn't been properly set. You call this a spectacle, Ephialtes? Let me show you how it's done." Emily noticed something, a glass of red and green in one of the openings of the ceiling form the platform came from. Steve noticed it to for he was looking at it. Than a face appeared just over the edge, when she saw the face that she smiled, Bacchus was about ready to do something when Emily spoke up.

"Lord Bacchus!" Bacchus turned and looked at Emily in surprised as she stood up and walked over to him and Steve followed her, he got the idea of what she was going to do and she hoped it would work. "Instead of Percy and Jason fighting them why not let Steve and I fight them instead. We didn't do much fighting." Bacchus seem tot think about for a minute before he nodded.

"Very well, but I will do he same for you two as I was going to do for Percy and Jason." Bacchus dissolved into purple mist, Piper, Nico, Arabella, Percy and Jason disappeared. The entire floor rumbled and benga to rise the ceiling opened in a series of panels making the sunlight pour in. The air shimmered like a mirage, she could hear the roar of a crowd above her. The hypogeum ascended through a forest of weathered stone columns into the middle of the ruined coliseum. Planks were laying across the ruined support beams so that the arena had a proper floor again, the bleachers repaired themselves till they were gleaming white. A giant red and gold canopy extended overheard to prove shade from the afternoon sun.

The emperor's box was draped with silk flanked by banners and golden eagles, the roar of applause came from thousands of shimmering purple ghosts, the Lares of Rome were brought back for an encore performance, vents opened in the floor and sprayed sand across the arena. Huge props sprang up, garage size mountains of plaster, stone columns and for some odd reason like sized plastic barnyard animals. A small lake appeared to one side. Ditches crisscross end the arena floor, Emily and Steve stood together facing the twin giants. Just out of the corner of her eye at she could see Thor and, for some reason, Loki was sitting next to Thor. Even though Emily fought against Loki three years back, she was rather glad to see him as well as Thor. Though she was more happy to see Thor than Loki for she trust thro more than she does Loki, however at the moment she trust Loki more than Bacchus or Dionysus.

"This is a proper show!" Bacchus boomed across the coliseum, Bacchus was sitting in the emperor's box wearing purple robes and golden laurels. At his left sat Nico, Arabella, Jason, Percy and Piper, of which was not that surprising. Jason and Percy looked worried as they looked at Emily and Steve, Piper's shoulder was being tended by a nymph. At Bacchus's right crouched a satyr offering up Doritos and grapes, the god raised a can of diet Pepsi and the crowd went respectfully quiet. Emily looked to where Thor was and nodded before looking at Bacchus and spoke.

"So, You're just going to sit there? What a big surprise that is."

"The demigod is right! Fight us yourself, coward! Um, without the demigods." Emily expected the lazy smile Bacchus gave.

"Juno says she's assembled a worthy crew of demigods. Show me. Entertain me, protectors of heroes of Olympus. Give me a reason to do more. Being a god has its privileges." He popped his soda can top and the crowd cheered, however Emily managed to shout and the crowd silent down as she spoke.

"You will be entertained, Bacchus but it will not be by the protectors of the heroes of Olympus. You see we are four short of that. Today you will be entertained by," Emily looked around, she could see the avengers, she could see the shining gold and red of iron man and the green of the hulk, the red hair of Natasha was well seeing one of the arrows of Clint and she could see Thor and Loki. She wasn't sure of how the rest of the avengers got here but she didn't care at all of how they got there. She wasn't even sure of how or why Loki was here and with Thor no less. Than she looked at Arabella and gave her a look to stay there no matter what happens, Arabella nodded before she looked back at Bacchus. "The avengers. We avenge. In a time like this, we assemble."

Everyone was glaring down at Emily when she said that, Steve noticed the other avengers as well. She knows he did, Bacchus tilted his head when Emily said that, he was about ready to say something when suddenly there was a rain cloud with lightning and thunder. Bacchus seemed surprised by this as well as the twin giants, emily heard the fake mountain coming at her and she bolted just in time and rolled out of the way as arrows hit the giants and Natasha had entered the stadium with two bronze knives Emily gave her. The hulk was smashing them but they giants only got widened, Tony was using some of his weapon of which flatten the tints somewhat. Emily Ron's to help and she slashed at the feet of Otis while Steve was doing the same thing with he other giant. An Thor and Loki entered the area, throw summoned his lightning and hit the giant that Steve was fighting and the giants turned to ash.

Loki had he throw a couple of his knives and hit Otis of who turned into a mound of mud Emily sliced through it as Loki vanished and reappeared on top of it and he stabbed the mound before it vanished. When the fight began that there was cheering, but when Emily and Loki finished off Otis that the crowd in the coliseum feel silent. Emily stood up from where she was kneeling when she had been fighting and she turned to Bacchus of who looked utterly shock. Emily walked forward and spoke to Bacchus. "I guess your trip was indeed pointless wasn't it?" Bacchus glared down at her, it seems that he realize that she knew the avengers were there.

"You know, Emily, there are times when I have high doubts that you are a daughter of Demeter. You are better suited as a daughter of Athena." Emily tilted her head when he said that.

"I am a daughter Demeter and proud to be one, the same goes for being a daughter of Hades. Honestly, I will have it no other way. I prefer to be a child of Demeter and Hades than a daughter of Athena." Bacchus just looked down at her, before he could say anything that a large dark oval shape descended from the sky fast. As the Argo II landed that Emily saw Leo at the helm with Hazel, Frank and Jennifer at his side. Bucky, Lauren, Phil, and Aubrey were at the other end, Gleeson was on the firing platform he looked a little disappointed but he was shouted at Emily and Steve. "That was awesome, but you should have let me give me a shot at the giants." As the others disembarked from the Argo II that the crowds of ghosts shimmered and disappeared. Piper, Nico, Arabella, Jason and Percy struggled down from the emperor's box as the Colosseum's magical renovation began to turn into mist. However the arena floor remained solid but otherwise the stadium looked like it hadn't just hosted a giant killing. Bacchus was looking down and spoke.

"Well. That was fun to watch. You have my permission to continue your voyage." Loki glared at Bacchus, Bacchus jerked back at the glare that Loki was giving him. This was the few times she was liking Loki for being himself, for being the trickster that he is. Emily looked at Steve of who looked like he was going to fall to the floor laughing his head off, but it was Percy spoke.

"Your permission?"

"Yes. Although your voyage may be a little harder than you expect, son of Neptune."

"Poseidon. What do you mean about my voyage?"

"You might try the parking lot behind the Emmanuel Building. Best place to break through. Now, good-bye, my friends. And, ah, good luck with that other little matter." The god vaporized in a cloud of mis that smelled faintly of grape juice, Emily would have ran over to Arabella and Nico but there was something bothering. She turned to Thor and Loki, Loki had handcuffs on, Emily nodded to Loki and looked at Loki and Thor before she spoke.

"Explain and I really don't care which one that explains." Thor was the one that spoke.

"Well, Heimdall told me of what was happening to you and the others, Lady Emily. From what he told me that you were on your here to face twin giants. I wasn't sure if you could face them and so I decided to come and help. I wasn't sure on how the two giants fight so I brought Loki with me for the fight and only for the fight. I also called the other avengers before coming here to help." Thor pulled Loki to one side and looked at the sky and spoke to Heimdall but Emily didn't get the chance to listen for that was when Gleeson trotted up to Emily.

"Was that Dionysus? I love that guy!" Than he looked Thor of who was now standing by himself and was slaking back over to Emily. "Who is that and why he did he call you Lady Emily." It was Thor that spoke.

"I am Thor, god of thunder. On Asgard we refer to all the women as Lady and their name." Gleeson was about ready to say something when Nico and Arabella ran over and hugged her, they were quickly joined by Jennifer and Hazel. That was also when Percy spoke.

"You're alive! The giants said you were captured. What happened?" Leo shrugged as her four siblings let go of her.

"Oh, just another brilliant plan by Leo Valdez. You'd be amazed what you can do with an Archimedes sphere, a girl who can sense stuff underground, and a weasel."

"I was the weasel." Frank spoke glumly, Bucky walked over to her and hugged Emily as Leo spoke up once more.

"Basically, I activated a hydraulic screw with the Archimedes device - which is going to be awesome once I install it in the ship, by the way. Hazel sensed the easiest path to drill to the surface. We made a tunnel big enough for a weasel, and Frank climbed up with a simple transmitter that I slapped together. After that, it was just a matter of hacking into Coach Hedge's favorite satellite channels and telling him to bring the ship around to rescue us. After he got us, finding you was easy, thanks to that godly light show at the Colosseum." Emily managed to get about half of that, maybe not quite half but she got more than most of the rest of the people there expect for Tony and Bruce. Well it was just Tony since Bruce was still the hulk but he was turning back through.

"Where's Annabeth?" Leo winced.

"Yeah, about that...she's still in trouble, we think. Hurt, broken leg, maybe - at least according to this vision Gaea shown us. Rescuing her is our next stop."

"Tell me about the vision. Tell me everything." The floor shook, the wooden planks began to disappear, spilling sand into the pits of the hypogeum below.

"Let's talk on board. We'd better take off while we still can." As they got on that the avengers were surprised to see Phil there, but didn't question it as they boarded. When they sailed out that Emily asked Thor to go and get shield along with the rest of the avengers, Emily called for Mrs. O'Leary. Phil agreed with Emily on that fact, however he told them to protect the two camps as best they could from Gaea with the help of S.H.I. . The avengers climbed on her or at least the ones who couldn't fly did, of which was basically Bruce, Natasha, and Clint. As Tony and Thor flew off that Mrs. O'Leary jumped into a shadow. They veered south over the rooftops of Rome. Around the Piazza del Colosseo, traffic stopped and a crowd gathered and were looking at the ruins. It seems that no one noticed the Greek trireme, Emily felt like she was going to faint or something.

Bucky was holding her and gave her some ambrosia, Hazel was feeding Nico some ambrosia, it seem the running to Emily took too much out of him. For he could barley lift his head and his voice was so quiet that Hazel leaned in to hear Nico. It seem the jar and running to Emily had similar affects on Arabella, for she could hardly lift her own head and her voice was just as quiet. It pained Emily to see Arabella and Nico like this, even if she wasn't as close to them as Arabella and Nico were to each other. Even with the fights they sometimes had with each other. Fighting with siblings normal thing, she even argued with Steve at times, though it wasn't as often as with her other siblings. Frank and Leo were recounting of what happened in the room with the Archimedes spheres and the visions that Gaea showed them.

After they finished that the crew decided the cryptic advice that Bacchus gave was their best chance of finding Annabeth. Emily would have helped but Gleeson and Frank seem to be doing most of the helping. For Frank as toying at the helm's computer and Gleeson was wrestling with an upside down street map of Rome. Frank was muttering the name of the building as he was trying to look for it, Emily tried to think of where that building was. She knows she heard the name but after nearly drowning, fighting two giants, finding her two siblings was making it hard for Emily to think. Of course part of it might be the fact she was pregnant. Emily remained of were she was at the railing with Bucky's arms around her, she leaned against Bucky as Percy knelt next to Jason and Piper. Jason was looking after Piper of which wasn't a big surprise, however japan and Piper were close to where Emily and Bucky were.

"How's the shoulder?" Piper smiled.

"It'll heal." Than Piper looked at Emily. "Both, you and Steve, did great." Jason and Percy looked over at Emily, before Emily could say anything that Jason spoke.

"You and Steve are a great team." Emily snorted when Jason said that.

"You are making it sound like that was the first time Steve and I fought together and side by side. Did you forget Steve and I lead the howling commandos in World War II. That was not the first time we fought side by side and it will be the last time either." Before anything else could be said that Leo cried and was pointing at his monitor.

"There it is! Frank, you're amazing! I'm setting course." Frank hunched his shoulders.

"I just read the name off the screen. Some Chinese tourist marked it on Google Maps." Leo grinned at everyone else on the ship.

"He reads Chinese."

"Just a tiny bit."

"How cool is that?"

"Guys, I hate to interrupt your admiration session, but you should hear this." Hazel helped to his feet while Jennifer helped Arabella to her feet, Arabella managed to grasp the railing and walked over to Emily, Emily left Bucky's arms and went over to Arabella and hugged her. It was hard to see Arabella like this, after watching Arabella grow for sixteen almost seventeen years. When Arabella become friends with Harry and after her first year at Hogwarts that Emily knew that Arabella would have to face a lot of things. Maybe not quite as much as Percy or harry would in their respective worlds, even if Arabella was part of both worlds. Arabella was always pale but now both her skin, as well as Nico's, looked more like powdered milk. Their eyes were sunken, it reminded her of the time that she saw Bucky at the HYDRA base. Nico manage to raps and hai eyes were darting nervously around the group.

"Thank you, I'd given up hope." Emily wanted to hug Nico and Arabella tightly but with how frail and sad they looked that she didn't dare.

"You two knew about the two camps all along. You could have told me who I was the first day I arrived at Camp Jupiter, but you didn't." While Arabella slumped against Emily, Nico slumped against the helm, it looked like he could broke down any minute.

"Percy, I'm sorry. I discovered Camp Jupiter last year. My dad led me there, though I wasn't sure why. He told me the gods had kept the camps separate for centuries and that I couldn't tell anyone. The time wasn't right. But he said it would be important for me to know..." Nico doubled over in a fit of coughing. As Nico coughed that Arabella spoke.

"Emily led me there after my father revealed to me about the Romans a few years back. He told me similar things as he did Nico." Hazel held onto Nico's shoulders till Nico could stand again. Emily held onto Arabella, Emily wasn't sure what else to do, Arabella seem broken like Nico, Emily wasn't sure if they would be the same ever again after what happened. Emily seen how angry Arabella could get more so when when someone tries to avoid death. Arabella could be scary when that happens, but it was more scary to see Arabella in is state than when she was angry.

"I - I thought Dad meant because of Hazel, I'd need a safe place to take her. But now...I think he wanted me, as well as Arabella even she knew sooner than I did, to know about both camps so I'd understand how important your quest was, and so Arabella and I search for the Doors of Death." The air turned electric, almost like Jason started throwing off sparks.

"Did you find the doors?" Arabella was looking at Nico of who nodded.

"I was a fool. I thought Arabella and I could go anywhere in the Underworld, but I walked right into Gaea's trap. I might as well have tried running from a black hole."

"Um... What kind of black hole are you talking about?" Nico started to speak, but whatever he needed to say must been too terrifying of which made Emily felt even more bad as well as worried of what happen to them. Nico turned to Hazel, Emily could feel Arabella shaking in her arms, something that Emily wasn't used to from Arabella. Emily pulled her closer and held Arabella trying to comfort her, though wasn't sure if that would be enough. Hazel put her hand on Nico's arm before she spoke.

"Nico told me that the Doors of Death have two sides - one in the mortal world, one in the Underworld. The mortal side of the portal is in Greece. It's heavily guarded by Gaea's forces. That's where they brought Nico back into the upper world. Then they transported him to Rome." Piper was still holding onto the cornucopia for it spit out a cheeseburger, it was clear that Piper was nervous.

"Where exactly in Greece is this doorway?" Nico took a rattling breath but it was Arabella that spoke at last.

"The House of Hades. It's an underground temple in Epirus. Nico or myself can mark it on a map, but - but the mortal side of the portal isn't the problem. In the Underworld, the Doors of Death are in...in..." Emily felt cold almost like she was the own that been frozen in ice instead to Steve, it was clear of where the other side of the doors were. It was clear to Emily of why Nico and Arabella were shaken up, it wasn't just the jar that they were in. They were also in Tartarus, the deepest part of the underworld, a place no one dared entered, both Emily and Hades avoid that place. Shortly after emily was rooted and jaunt after her fake death that Emily had stood at the edge for the pit. Emily never went back there again, she had nightmares about that place for years after that. But the nightmare since stopped.

"Tartarus. The deepest part of the Underworld." Nico nodded when Percy said that.

"They pulled me into the pit, Percy. The things I saw down there..." Nico's voice broke, Arabella was holding onto emily as tightly as she could. Emily was in somewhat frail state but Arabella was worse, her tighten hold was very weak compared to how it was.

"No mortal has ever been to Tartarus. At least, no one has ever gone in and returned alive. It's the maximum-security prison of Hades, where the old Titans and the other enemies of the gods are bound. It's where all monsters go when they die on the earth. It's...well, no one knows exactly what it's like." Hazel's eyes drifted to Nico and Arabella, the rest of hazel's thoughts didn't need to be spoken out loud. For no one but Nico and Arabella knew what it was like down there, Emily couldn't even began to think of what it must be lied down there and she had seen some scary things in the last seventy years though most of it was rather recent. Hazel handed Nico his sword, Jennifer case forward and handed Arabella her sword. Emily looked at Jennifer, wondering where she got one of Arabella's sword, for Emily knows Arabella had two swords at one point or at least covering her whole life. Arabella was mostly leaning on Emily but Nico was leaning on his sword like it was an old man's cane.

"Now I understand why Hades hasn't been able to close the doors. Even the gods don't go into Tartarus. Even the god of death, Thanatos himself, wouldn't go near that place." Leo glanced over from the wheel.

"So let me guess. We'll have to go there." Nico shook his head.

"It's impossible. I'm the son of Hades, and even I barely survived. Gaea's forces overwhelmed me instantly. They're so powerful down there...no demigod would stand a chance. I almost went insane." Emily looked at Nico, Emily knew that some demigods had things worse than others, Nico was one of the ones that wasn't as lucky. It could be said the same about Emily during World War II, for it looked like something broke permanently inside of Nico. Arabella seem to be almost the same way, she was close to be almost broken permanently but it seem that it would easier to help Arabella than Nico. Emily promised herself that she would help them from whatever happened on Tartarus.

"Then we'll sail for Epirus. We'll just close the gates on this side."

"I wish it were that easy. The doors would have to be controlled on both sides to be closed. It's like a double seal. Maybe, just maybe, all seven of you working together could defeat Gaea's forces on the mortal side, at the House of Hades. But unless you had a team fighting simultaneously on the Tartarus side, a team powerful enough to defeat a legion of monsters in their home territory - "

"There has to be a way." No one said anything or offered any ideas. Than the ship started to descend towards a building that could be passed as a palace.

"We'll figure out the Tartarus problem later. Is that the Emmanuel Building?" Leo nodded.

"Bacchus said something about the parking lot in back? Well, there it is. What now?" Emily looked at the building, Annabeth was facing her worst enemy and nightmare to all children of Athena. Emily wished that she could help Annabeth on her way there and she was sure Percy felt the same way. But Emily knows that Annabeth must done it alone by herself in order to get there. Otherwise she would have died on her journey to get there.m

"We have to get her out."

"Well, yeah. But, uh..." Emily looked at Leo, he paused before he changed of what he was going to say. "There's a parking lot in the way." Emily,looked over at Gleeson as Percy looked at Gleeson.

"Bacchus said something about breaking through. Coach, you still have ammo for those ballistae?" Gleeson grinned like a wild goat.

"I thought you'd never ask." Emily let go of Arabella, Arabella let to of her and grasp the railing with her sword in hand as Gleeson fired on the parking lot. The parking lot caved in and exploded in a blast of fiery light, Emily was sure that down there that it looked like it was raining cars. But from up on the ship that it looks like the cars were falling down. Emily saw the cars hit what looks like a floor with huge Chinese handcuffs and a fiat 590 slammed into the handcuffs. The handcuffs and the car disappeared as the car punched through the floor. Emily could see the gold of the Athena Parthenos. Than Percy yelled down into the cavern below the parking lot,

"Annabeth!"

"Here!" Emily could hear Annabeth sobbing, Emily was glad that Annabeth was still alive and made it through. As the Argo II descended that Emily could make out the cavern, it looked like here had been hundred years worth of spider webs or what was left of it anyway. The room seem to be shaking, but Annabeth managed to stand even with her leg wrapped as it was. Emily noticed that Annabeth's backpack was missing which means the laptop was missing. Not only that but it seems that she didn't have her dagger either, of which seem rather odd since Emily never seen Annabeth without her dagger. Annabeth edged closer to the gaping hole as the ship was lowered, when the Argo II was forth feet from the floor that it stopped. The rope ladder was lowered and Percy climbed down, Emily climbed down as well as the others. When Percy reached Annabeth that he turned her gently away from the pit and wrapped her arms around Annabeth. Annabeth buried her face in his chest and broke down in tears.

"It's okay. We're together."Emily and the others gathered around them, it seemed that Annabeth wasn't surprised to see Arabella or Nico there. Piper knelt next to Annabeth and examined the bubble wrap cast.

"Your leg. Oh, Annabeth, what happened?" Annabeth tried to explain, as Annabeth explained that Emily went over to her and placed hope and the feeling of home into Annabeth of which seem thelp Annabeth. As Annabeth spoke that emit knelt down by Piper and unwrapped the cast and started to heal the broken ankle. As it healed mostly that Annabeth seem to move it better, Emily knows it would be stiff for a while but it was healed. When Annabeth finished that everyone was amazed even Emily, for emit wasn't sure of how well Annabeth would do with this quest.

"Gods of Olympus. You did all that alone. With a broken ankle."

"Well...some of it with a broken ankle." Percy was grinning.

"You made Arachne weave her own trap? I knew you were good, but Holy Hera - Annabeth, you did it. Generations of Athena kids tried and failed. You found the Athena Parthenos!" Everyone looked at the statue.

"What do we do with her? She's huge."

"We'll have to take her with us to Greece," Annabeth said. "The statue is powerful. Something about it will help us stop the giants."

"The giants' bane stands gold and pale. Won with pain from a woven jail. It was Arachne's jail. You tricked her into weaving it." Leo raised his hands as Emily stood up of making sure that the ankle would be fine, it looked like Leo was making measurements of the statue.

"Well, it might take some rearranging, but I think we can fit her through the bay doors in the stable. If she sticks out the end, I might have to wrap a flag around her feet or something."

"What about you guys? What happened with the giants?" Percy told Annabeth about the nymphs, including the part of where Hagno brought Emily's child, when Percy reached that part that everyone looked at her in surprise. Everyone knew by now Lauren was pregnant even if Lauren wasn't showing yet, some looked surprised expect for the ones that didn't know of which was about half of the crew. Than Percy went on and told Annabeth about rescuing Nico and, the appearance of Bacchus, the fight with the twin giants in the colosseum with the avengers. Nico or Arabella said much, a speedy spoke, Percy even told Annabeth about the doors of death and what had to be done to close them.

"So the mortal side is in Epirus. At least that's somewhere we can reach." Nico and Arabella grimaced, but it was Nico who spoke.

"But the other side is the problem. Tartarus." The word echoed through the chamber, Emily felt the cold blast of air that exhaled from the pit behind her. Emily knows that the chasm go straight to the underworld, Percy felt it top for he guided Annabeth father from the edge. There was spider silk on her legs and arms that acted like a bridal train, it seem Annabeth was going to say something but Percy spoke.

"Bacchus mentioned something about my voyage being harder than I expected. Not sure why - " The chamber groaned, the Athena Parthenos tilted to one side of the cavern. It's head was caught one one of the support cables that was holding this place together, however the marble foundation under the Athena Parthenos was crumbling,

"Secure it!"

"Zhang! Get me to the helm, quick! The coach is up there alone."Frank transformed into a giant eagles and they soared towards the ship. Jason wrapped his arm around Piper before he turned to Percy.

"Back for you guys in a sec." Jason summoned the wind and shot into the air with Piper.

"This floor won't last! The rest of us should get to the ladder." Phil, Aubrey, Bucky NSF Lauren went to help with the statue, Lauren and Bucky were using their wind powers to help keep it stable, while grappling lines shoot for the Argo II and they wrapped around the statue. Emily noticed that some of grappling lines came form arrows and some of the lines were plants. Hazel, Nico and Arabella looked at Emily, Emily gestured for the to get to the rope ladder first. Emily could hear Percy as he spoke to Annabeth.

"It'll be fine." Lauren, Bucky, Jason and Frank were flying around from line to line trying to secure the statue. Nico just barely reached the ladder after Arabella and Hazel went up on it when Emily felt something wrapped itself around her ankle. Than Emily heard Annabeth gasp, Emily looked back as Annabeth stumbled, than Emily felt a pull around her ankle and she stumbled to the floor because of it. Steve was about ready to ask what was wrong but Percy best him to it.

"What is it?" Emily and Annabeth tried to move, or stagger in Annabeth's case, to the ladder but Emily was going backwards. Emily looked down and almost cried out, wrapped around her ankles was spider webs. There was another pull and Emily fell to the floor and on her face, the same thing happened to Annabeth. Emily managed to pull herself up somewhat both Hazel and Arabella were shouting from the ladder.

"Their ankle! Cut it! Cut it!" Emily was the only one that seem to understand what Hazel and Arabella were talking about, Emily grasp her sword was about ready to cut the web threads from her ankles. Before she was able to do anything that the webs yanked Emily and Annabeth backwards. Emily lost her hold of her sword of which back to being a poppy. Steve and Percy lunged at both of them, Steve lunged at Emily while Percy lunged at Annabeth. Steve grabbed her arm, but the momentum carried Steve along as well as Percy when Percy grabbed Annabeth. Emily could hear Hazel and Arabella yelling from the rope ladder.

"Help them!" Emily,caught a glimp of Nico hobbling in their direction whirl Hazel and Arabella were trying to disentangle their swords from the rope ladder, their other friends were to focus on the statue. So their shouts was lost in the general shouting and rumbling of the cavern, Emily's heart was reaching as Annabeth and Emily hit the edge of the pit. Annabeth was sobbing, it was clear that Annabeth knew what was happening as well as Emily. Their legs went over the side, it seem that Percy and Steve was understanding what was happening.

"No. My sword..." Percy couldn't reach riptide without letting go of Annabeth, Emily struggled against the webs that managed to wrap themselves around her ankles. Of how that happened was beyond her, Emily tried to lift her legs and she tried to cut the webs off. But whatever was on the other end was strong and heavy and kept pulling at the threads so that Emily couldn't move he let's high to cut the threads off. Suddenly they went further into the void, Annabeth passed out for a few moments during that time. When they were part way down into the pit that Percy and Steve managed to grab a ledge about fifteen feet below the top of the chasm. Emily looked down and gulp, she could sense when this put leads to, the one place that could heard for a mortal or demigod to go through. Nico and Arabella were proof that they could make it but also proof that it was dangerous. Steve was holding onto with one hand and his hand was gripping her wrist than a voice spoke from the darkness below.

'No escape, I go to Tartarus, and you and one of your friends will come too.' Emily looked down at the darkness before looking at Steve and grabbed his hand with her other hand. The pit shook, Emily tighten her grip on Steve for he was the only thing that was keeping her from falling. Percy and Steve were barely holding onto the ledge. Nico leaned over the edge, not only that but somehow Arabella got off the ladder and was also leaning over the edge. Emily could hear Hazel yelling for the others, Emily looked down at the darkness, she knew what she had to do and she knew Steve wouldn't like it and neither would Arabella. For Emily knew it was too late for both Annabeth and herself to be saved, Emily looked back at Steve and spoke.

"Let me go, Steve." Steve looked pained, she could see it in his eyes the scene of where he flew the plane into the ice and snow and he froze for almost seventy years. She knows that he understood of where she was coming, that it had to be like this. "This is the only way to close the doors, not only that but you can't pull me up even with that serum in you." Steve was deep in thought and his grip loosen, she was about ready to to let to when suddenly Steve's grip on her wrist web come tighter. Emily,looked at his hand enforce looking back at Steve.

"No, this is different this the plane."

"How is this different than the plane, Steve?" Steve closed his eyes and spoke.

"I had a choice, but you didn't get a choice to be pulled in there."

"But the idea is still the same, Steve. You might have been aware you are a demigod for seventy years but you don't have the training of such a demigod while I do. Besides you don't know how to use your powers as well as you should. It would be unfair to you to be in Tartarus. It would be an unfair fight, like it would been if I went with you. We could have defeat he red skull easy yes, but it your fight alone. But this is Annabeth's and my fight. We can close the doors on this side." Steve looked down at her, Steve knew it was hopeless for her to to get out of this mess. But she could see the determination his eyes as well as seeing the never give up look that he gets when a bully pushed him around like back at camp Lehigh. Before Steve said or did anything that Annabeth spoke.

"Percy, let me go. You can't pull me up." Emits looked at Percy, his face was white, Percy could see that it was hopeless as well.

"Never," Than Percy looked up at Nico, facile Steve looked up at Arabella. Arabella looked scared and worried, Emily knew that Arabella knows where the pit leads to. "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"

"But - "

"Lead them there! Promise me!"

"I - I will." Than Steve yelled at Arabella.

"Arabella, help Nico and the others to get there. If something happens to Nico, promise me you would lead them the rest of the way and meet us there."

"But ... I will." Emily could hear laughter from the darkness below and the voice spoke once more.

'Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess.' Steve tightened his grip on her wrist as she tighten her hand around his hand. Steve and Emily,locked eyes, they both knew what the other was thinking, it was the one things Bucky said when they were almost seven years old. 'I am with you till the end.' They didn't need to say anything, for that was a promise they made at that age as well as Bucky. Even when they were not together that Emily,tried to find him and hope to see him come back. Than Percy spoke to Annabeth.

"We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again."

"As long as we're together." Emily looked at the sunlight from far above, ever since she started going to the underground that she would look at the sunlight one last time enforce she entered the underworld. Even though she knows when she went to the underworld before that she would see it again. But this was the first time that she wondered if she would ever see the sun again, not only that but would she ever see Bucky again. She cousin hear Nico and Hazel screaming for helping but Arabella was crying and couldn't stop. At the same time, Steve and Percy let go of the ledge, Emily' managed to wrap her arms a prune his neck as Steve put his arms around her as they started to fall towards Tartarus while Percy and Annabeth were howling hands.

Bucky's pov

Bucky was in shock, Bucky was one of the ones that could flew as well as Lauren, Jason and Frank when he turned into a bird. Everything happened so quickly, they managed to secure grappling lines to the Athena Parthenos just as the floor gave away. Frank, Lauren and Jason dove down to save the others but they only found Nico, Hazel and Arabella hanging from the rope ladder. Arabella was cryin her head of and hadn't fully stopped her, Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth were gone. The pit to Tartarus was buried under several tons of debris, Leo pulled the Argo II out of the cavern seconds before the entire place imploded and it took the rest of the parking lot with it. The Argo II was parked on a hill,overlooking the city. Jason, Hazel and Frank went back to the scene of the catastrophe hoping to did through the rubble and find a way to save, Percy, Annabeth, Emily and Steve. But they came back demoralized, no mortal was hurt at least, but the scene was swarming with police and rescue workers.

Dazed with grief, Bucky and the others carefully loaded the Athena Parthenos into the hold. The statue just fit, of what to do with it was beyond Bucky, Bucky stared at it before he went to the deck with the others. When he was looking at it that one thought came to his mind, that he lost his wife, the woman he loves, because of that statue. Gleeson, as Emily and Lauren calls him, was too miserable to help with anything for he kept pacing the deck with tears in his eyes. He was a pulling at his goatee as well as slapping the side of his head muttering the same things over and over again. "I should have saved them! I should have blown up more stuff!" Leo than told Gleeson to go below deck to secure everything for departure. The twelve demigods gathered on the quarterdeck and gazed at the distant column of dust that was still rising from the site of the implosion. As the looked at the site that Leo spoke.

"It's my fault." It seems like Hazel and Jennifer seem to understand.

"No, No, this is Gaea's fault. It had nothing to do with you." Jennifer walked over to Leo and gripped his hand while Hazel went on.

"Leo, listen to me. I won't allow you to take the blame. I couldn't bear that after - after Sammy..." Hazel choked up, Bucky looked at them as they interacted. Jennifer out her arms around Leo's neck and put her head on his shoulder, that seem to calm down Leo and made him relax. It didn't help Bucky to watch that though, it reminded him to mud of Emily of who was died now along with their child. Nico and Arabella shuffled over and they were,leaning in their swords, it was Arabella that spoke.

"Leo, they're not dead. If they were, I could feel it."

"How can you be sure? If that pit really led to...you know...how could you sense them so far away?" Nico, Jennifer, Arabella and Hazel shared a look, Bucky shivered when they looked at each other. Bucky got use to Nico and Arabella, Nico was somewhat creepy and Arabella, well that was hard to explain since they didn't get along at first but it was Emily of who managed to get them to form a brother and sister relationship. Hazel and Jennifer never seem like a child of the underworld and it was hazel that spoke.

"We can't be one hundred percent sure. But I think Nico is right. Percy and Annabeth are still alive...at least, so far." Jason pounded his fist against the risk, Bucky wanted to do the same thing, however he was worried that he would breaks the rail with his metal arm for his metal arms was rather strong.

"I should've been paying attention. I could have flown down and saved them."

"Me, too." Frank looked on the verge of tears, Bucky was also close to tears, Emily might be alive. But for how long would she be alive, he didn't know, he should have stay with Steve and Emily instead of helping with the statue. Than maybe he would be with Emily at least instead of here. Piper put her hand on Jason's back.

"It's not your fault, either of you. You were trying to save the statue."

"She's right. Even if the pit hadn't been buried, you couldn't have flown into it without being pulled down. I'm the only one who has actually been into Tartarus. It's impossible to describe how powerful that place is. Once you get close, it sucks you in. I never stood a chance."

"Then Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth don't stand a chance either?" Nico twisted his silver skull ring.

"Percy is the second most powerful demigod I've ever met. No offense to you guys, but it's true. If anybody can survive, he will, especially if he's got Annabeth at his side. I remember hearing about Captain America and Lieutenant USA back in the 1940s. I don't know Steve as well as I do Emily but I know he is strong, capable as well as determined. It would be hard to break his spirit and the last part can be said about Emily as well that it would be hard to break her spirit. But there is no doubt in my mind that Emily is the most powerful demigod I have ever meet. She spend eight years training and she also is both a daughter of Hades and Demeter. They're going to find a way through Tartarus." Jason turned.

"To the Doors of Death, you mean. But you told us it's guarded by Gaea's most powerful forces. How could four demigods possibly - ?"

"I don't know. But Percy told me to lead you guys to Epirus, to the mortal side of the doorway. He's planning on meeting us there. If we can survive the House of Hades, fight our way through Gaea's forces, then maybe we can work together with Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth and seal the Doors of Death from both sides."

"Steve promised me to help Nico and all of you to get there and to lead you if something happens to Nico."

"And get Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth back safely?"

"Maybe." Bucky didn't like the way Nico said that, Bucky wanted to see Emily again and as soon as possible. "I don't know how they'll manage it, but Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth will find a way. They'll journey through Tartarus and find the Doors of Death. When they do, we have to be ready."

"It won't be easy, Gaea will throw everything she's got at us to keep us from reaching Epirus."

"What else is new?"

"We've got no choice. We have to seal the Doors of Death before we can stop the giants from raising Gaea. Otherwise her armies will never die. And we've got to hurry. The Romans are in New York. Soon, they'll be marching on Camp Half-Blood."

"We've got one month at best, Ephialtes said Gaea would awaken in exactly one month."

"We can do it." Everyone stared at Leo. "The Archimedes sphere can upgrade the ship. I'm going to study those ancient scrolls we got. There's got to be all kinds of new weapons I can make. We're going to hit Gaea's armies with a whole new arsenal of hurt." At the prow of the ship, Festus creaked his jaw and blew fire, Jason managed a smile and clapped Leo on the shoulder.

"Sounds like a plan, Admiral. You want to set the course?" Bucky looked at the cityscape of Rome as it turned blood red in the sunset with the hope to see Emily once more.

"Yeah. Festus, raise the sails. We've got some friends to save." The Argo II went into the air, as the others went around trying to keep themselves busy that Bucky remained where he was looking at Rome as it disappeared behind the ship. Bucky spoke as they flew away.

"Emily, I will find you and when I do that I will never let you go again. I had let you go too many times in my life to do it again."


	23. Chapter 23

Ever since they left Rome that Bucky didn't sleep very well, he knows a fair amount of it was because Emily wasn't there in his arms fast asleep safe and sound. The only other time he slept was when he was frozen in ice when he wasn't needed for a mission during his time as the winter soldier. So without Emily there next to him or being frozen in ice that he has a hard time sleeping so did Lauren, however she sleep alone for most of her life till a couple of years ago. Bucky was laying on the bed, his arms were wrapped around the pillow that Emily used while they were traveling to Rome to rescue her two half siblings, Nico and Arabella. The pillow was a small comfort to him since it smelled like Emily still but he wasn't sure of how much longer the smell on the pillow would last. Just the thought of where Emily went kept bothering him.

As Bucky laid there that he felt the ship being attacked once more by the mountain giants, Bucky groaned when the attack came. If Emily was with her he would be able to sleep through it, but she wasn't though, so Bucky got out of the bed and went up to the deck. As he went to the deck that he thought of Emily, Emily was the one that kept him ground and the reason he fought and live for. When she become pregnant with their child two weeks ago that he was even more determined to make sure that Emily was kept safe and protected. With some of it he was worried of what might happen to her, he was fine with her when she was with her two brothers or one of them, Phil or Steve. No offense to Phil, but Bucky feels better when Steve was there to help and back Emily up when she needs it. Steve was with her now, even though she was in the last place he wants her to be, Tartarus. When Bucky reached the deck that he saw Nico on the foremast of the shop yelling.

"Hard to port!" At the helm, Leo yanked the wheel, the Argo II veered left, the oars were slashing through the clouds like rows of knives. Bucky managed to get to the railing and stood next to Emily's half sister, Hazel, she looked at him before looking over the railing. A dark spherical shape hurtled towards Bucky, than he yelped at the same time as Hazel and hit the deck. The huge rock passed so close that he could feel the air moving past him, than crack. The foremast collapsed, sail, spars, and Nico came crushing down to the deck. The boulder, about the size of a pick up trunk, tumbled into the fog like there was somewhere else it has to to go to before coming back. Hazel scrambled over to Nico as Leo brought the ship level

"Nico!"

"I'm fine." Nico kicked the folds of canvas off of his legs, Bucky stood up as Hazel helped him up before they stumbled to the bow. Bucky looked down just as the clouds parted long enough to reveal the top of the mountain below them. A spearhead of black rock jutting from mossy green slops, standing on top of the summit was a mountain god,man ourselves in Greek, but it has a different name for the Romans like most other things were. No matter what group called the mountain gods, they were still rather nasty when angered or if someone tries to cross their mountain. Like the others that they faced in the last couple of days, this one wore a simple white tunic over skin that looked rough and dark as basalt. The mountain god was twenty feet tall and extremely muscular but with a crazy hermit look, for he has a flowing white beard, scraggly hair and a wild look in his eyes. He bellowed something before he took another chunk of rock out of his mount is. And. Began shaping it into a ball. The serene disappeared but when the mountain god bellowed again that the others answered in the distance.

"Stupid rock gods! That's the third time I've had to replace that mast! You think they grow on trees?"

"Masts are from trees."

"That's not the point!" Leo snatched up one of his controls and spun it in a circle, a few feet away that a trapdoor opened in the deck. A celestial bronze cannon rose, Bucky barely covered his ears in time as it discharged into the sky. It sprayed a dozen metal sprees that trailed green fire, the spheres grew spikes in midair, like helicopter blades before they were hurtled away init the fog. A moment later that a series explosions crackled across the mountains followed by he outraged roars of mountain gods."Ha!" Bucky figures that only annoyed the mountain gods, another boulder whistled through he sir off to their starboard side.

"Get us out of here!" Leo was muttering something about the mountain gods that were not very flattering but he turned the wheel none the less. The engines hummed, then sticks rigging lashed itself tight and changed the ship's direction to port. The Argo II picked up speed and retreated north west as they been doing for the past two days. Bucky watched as the fog cleared and the morning sunlight illuminated the countryside, rolling green hills and golden fields. It looked similar to Camp Jupiter, Bucky stared at the countryside, unsure to what to do. Sure in a sense he as in a similar spot as he been before but not quite though, for in many ways this was different. During his time as a winter soldier that he was frozen or doing missions that he followed like the soldier he was and in a sense still is, he will still follow orders but he would only listen to Emily or Steve when it comes to orders. However during that time, most of his memories were gone expect that of Emily, what she looked like, sound like, smelled like as well as the nickname he gave her, Flower Princess.

He remembered when he first gave the nickname to her, it was shortly after he asked her to be his girlfriend. She asked him of why he wanted to call her that, he told her the truth, that it fits because she was a daughter of Demeter, the only one at that time. So she could grow flowers and he thought of her as his princess, the ironic thing about the princess part was that she become the underworld princess while he become the winter solider. He remembered that dream with Hestia of where she put a blessing on him that when he was lost that he would find hai way back through his love. That did happen, now he felt lost once more like he was lost as the winter soldier, he wished that he went with Emily or he went with Steve. At least than he knows that Emily was safe or with him, not that he didn't dislike Lauren, it was just that he wanted Emily back. Bucky remembered when he meet Lauren when Steve asked him to join the howling commandos. Lauren hardly laid any attention to him of which made feel odd and out of place, as well as making him wondering if that how Steve felt when he took him a double date.

That was also the funny thing, that when Emily made her way to camp at she become Lauren's best friend and the other way around. It was the same for Bucky and Steve, but they were best friends for a much longer period time than Emily and Lauren have been. Bucky hoped that Emily was okay as well as their child, after Emily fell into Tartarus that he did reveal the fact that Emily was pregnant even though she was not very far along. It seems that Piper and Jason knew about that since it was revealed before Emily and Steve fought the giants. Lauren and Phil knew about that as well, everyone else was surprised by that news of Emily being pregnant. But that was not the only that Bucky was worried other than Emily and their child, for there other worries as well. Bucky looked over at Nico and Hazel as Nico picked the mast splinters out of his arms, Leo was punching buttons on the ship's console.

"Well, that was sucktastic. Should I wake the others?" Bucky didn't say anything, he might be the oldest awake but it was still their quest though, it was Hazel who answered.

"They need rest, We'll have to figure out another way on our own."

"Huh." Leo was scowling at his monster, he was in his tattered work shirt and grease splattered jeans, he looked like he fought in a wrestling match with a locomotive or something. Ever since Percy, Annabeth, Steve and Emily fell into Tartarus that Leo been working almost non stop. He been acting angrier and even more driven than usual, Bucky wasn't sure of he liked the changed or not. Though he was rather worried about the change and he was sure the oh hers were as well. "Another way. Do you see one?" On his monitor glowed a map of it's lot, the Apennine mountains runs down the middle of the boot shaped country. A green dot for the Argo II was blinking on the western side of the range, a few hundred miles north of Rome. The path should have been simple, that they needed to get to a place called Epirus in Greece to find an temple called three House of Hades or Pluto. To reach Epirus was to go straight east over the Apennines and across the Adriatic Sea, to their luck, it didn't work out like that. Each time they tried to cross the spine of Italy that the mountain gods attacked. For the past two days they skirted north to find a safe pass with no luck, the mountain gods were sons of Gaea. So as result the Argo II may not make it across the range without being smashed.

"It's our fault. Nico's and mine. The numina can sense us." Bucky looked at Nico, Bucky noticed since they rescued Nico and Arabella that they started to refrain their strength but they both were still painfully thin. Arabella was sleeping at the moment but when he did see her that her clothes hunt off her skeletal frame just like Nico's clothes did the same thing. Their complexion turned it into a sickly greenish white color like the tree sap. Arabella was sixteen almost seventeen while Nico was barely fourteen years old, the same age as Hazel or in human years. Hazel and Nico were demigods from another era, they both radiated a kind of old energy, like they know that they didn't belong in the modern world. Bucky wasn't sure if he gave off that same energy, he spend about sixty eight years, or close to it, as the winter soldier. Than he was giving a mission to kill Steve, his memories return, for it would sixty eight years in April the following year. It has been a year and half since than, since he regain his memories, Bucky questioned himself of how manage to keep his sanity after he Regis. His memories. But he knew why, it was Emily, Bucky hook his elf out of his thoughts trying to make sure he focus so that they cousins get to the House of Hades.

"Earth spirits don't like children of the Underworld. That's true. We get under their skin – literally. But I think the numina could sense this ship anyway. We're carrying the Athena Parthenos. That thing is like a magical beacon." Bucky wasn't sure what to think of that statue, no one knows what to do with it and it seem to alert more monsters to them. Leo was tracing his finger down the map of Italy.

"So crossing the mountains is out. Thing is they go a long way in either direction."

"We could go by sea. Sail around the southern tip of Italy."

"That's a long way. Plus, we don't have …" Nico's voice cracked. "You know … our sea expert, Percy." The name just hung in the air, Bucky didn't know Percy all that well, the only real time he spend with the guy was the war with the titans and about the last day of the quest to Alaska.

"What about continuing north? There has to be a break in the mountains, or something." Leo fiddled with bronze Archimedes sphere that he installed on the console. Bucky didn't like that thing, just like he didn't like the statue. The sphere grew a camera lens before it projected a 3-d image or the Apennines mountains above the console.

"I dunno. I don't see any good passes to the north. But I like that idea better than backtracking south. I'm done with Rome." No one argued with Leo when he said that, Bucky was trying to forget about Rome.

"Whatever we do, we have to hurry. Every day that Annabeth, Percy, Steve, and Emily are in Tartarus …" Nico didn't need to finish that, he hope that they could survive long enough to find the Tartarus side of the doors of death. When Nico told them about the doors after they fell that Bucky panicked, for someone would have to stay behind. Knowing Emily and Steve that they would be willing to stay behind if Percy and Annabeth would make it out alive. Honestly, he wasn't sure what to do if that happens, he was sure Lauren felt the same way as well. He hoped that they might be able to open the doors on the mortals side to save them and seal the entrance so that Gaea won't be able to use it or her forces. Nico was scowling at the countryside below them.

"Maybe we should wake the others. This decision affects us all."

"No, We can find a solution."

"Besides if we do, we might just start arguing again. That is the last thing that we need now, we need to work together but that is working well at the moment." The other three looked at him, ever since Rome that Bucky hardly spoke to anyone, even to Lauren, Emily's best friend and Phil, Emily's other half brother besides Nico that Bucky was aware of. Before their fall into Tartarus that they were beginning to learn to work as a team but Han Emily, Steve, Percy and Annabeth fell. Percy was like the backbone of the eight and Annabeth was more or less the leader and the one with the answers. Steve and Emily were like the second set of Annabeth and Percy, Emily was more like the leader and the one that gave hope to the others. Steve was more like the warrior and one who helped with the planning or the one that was quick on his toes. Though more or less emit and Steve were the ones that e eight looked up to the most to give the hope that he could make it though the tough challenge that he have in front of them. Since they lived through a lot of challenges in the past couple of years as well as during the war.

"We need some creative thinking. Another way to cross those mountains, or a way to hide ourselves from the numina."

"If I was on my own, I could shadow-travel. But that won't work for an entire ship. And, honestly, I'm not sure I have the strength to even transport myself any more."

"I could maybe rig some kind of camouflage like a smoke screen to hide us in the clouds." Bucky stared down the rolling farmland below. As he watched that he noticed a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. Something small and beige was racing across the fields at an incredible speed, leaving a vapour trail.

"Arion."

"What?" Leo let out a happy whoop when Hazel said her horse's name and as the dust cloud got closer.

"It's her horse, man! You missed that whole part. We haven't seen him since Kansas!" The beige dot circled a hill and stopped at the summit, the horse reared and whined.

"We have to meet him. He's here to help."

"Yeah, okay. But, uh, we talked about not landing the ship on the ground any more, remember? You know, with Gaia wanting to destroy us and all."

"Just get me close and I'll use the rope ladder. I think Arion wants to tell me something." Bucky watched as Hazel went down the rope ladder and ran over to Arion. Bucky noticed that she was talking to him, he knows that she can't talks to horses for that was a child of Poseidon thing. Than Nico called from the ship.

"Hazel! What's going on?"

"It's fine!" Hazel summoned a gold nugget and gave it to Arion, than she smiled at the three of them. "Arion wants to take me somewhere." He three of them exchanged nervous looks before Leo pointed north. Bucky looked to the north to see a storm gathered over some old stone ruins, it might been a Roman ruins of some kind. A funnel cloud snake it's way down towards the hill lie a black finger.

"Uh … Please tell me he's not taking you into that?" Hazel looked at the cloud before looking back at Arion.

"You want to go there?" Bucky was worried, he knows Emily looked out for her half siblings no matter if they were roman or not. But he knows that she was closer to her roman half siblings from Pluto than from Ceres. He knew that she didn't want anything to happen to them, he felt that being her husband that falls to him now. Bucky watched as Hazel tighten the straps of her cavalry sword before climbing onto Arion's back. The a she called up to the three of them.

"I'll be okay! Stay put and wait for me."

"Wait for how long? What if you don't come back?"

"Don't worry, I will." Than they shot across the countryside, he hoped that Hazel was right as he watched she head for the tornado. Bucky wasn't sure of how long it has been when Hazel went into that storm, but it seem to be forever. But no one spoke or even did anything, they just sat there and waited for Hazel to return. After a while that he saw the beige dot moving back to the ship, when close enough at he saw it was Hazel and Arion. As Hazel climbed back on the Argo II that Leo spoke.

"What happened?" Bucky noticed that Hazel's hands were shaking, Bucky glanced back and saw that Aaron ran off once more to wherever he was going next. The countryside sparkled as the summer sun hit the morning dew. The our ins could been seen now, they were old, stood white and were silent, no sign of anything unusual or from the godly world. Bucky was slightly worried when Hazel just looked over the railing and didn't respond.

"Hazel?" Hazel's knees buckled, Bucky managed to catch her and helped her to the steps of the foredeck. It seems that Hazel was out of energy from whatever happened in that cloud.

"I met Hecate." Hazel told them of what she could, somehow he felt that there some things that Hazel was holding back from them. Bucky figured that if she wanted to talk about whatever it was she was holding back that she would. She told them about the secret northern pass through he mountains and the detour that Hecate described that could take them to Epirus. When she was down that Nico took her hand, his eyes were full of concern.

"Hazel, you met Hecate at a crossroads. That's … that's something many demigods don't survive. And the ones who do survive are never the same. Are you sure you're –"

"I'm fine." Bucky wondered what happened out there with Hecate, Emily told him about her, honestly, Bucky wasn't sure if he wants to meet her.

"What if Hecate is tricking us? This route could be a trap." Hazel shook her head.

"If it was a trap, I think Hecate would've made the northern route sound tempting. Believe me, she didn't." Leo pulled out a calculated out of his tool belt and punched in some numbers.

"That's … something like three hundred miles out of our way to get to Venice. Then we'd have to backtrack down the Adriatic. And you said something about baloney dwarfs?"

"Dwarfs in Bologna, I guess Bologna is a city. But why we have to find dwarfs there … I have no idea. Some sort of treasure to help us with the quest."

"Huh, I mean, I'm all about treasure, but –" Nico and Bucky helped Hazel to her feet.

"It's our best option. We have to make up for lost time, travel as fast as we can. Steve's, Emily's, Percy's and Annabeth's lives might depend on it."

"Fast? I can do fast." He hurried to the console before he started to flip switches. Bucky went done stairs, hoping that he might get some sleep, but he doubted that will happen.

Emily's pov

Emily held onto Steve as they fell, Emily knew she wouldn't fall alone since Annabeth was also pulled in as well. But she was rather glad that Steve was with her, even with how much she wished that Bucky was here as well. She was sure that Steve was wishing the same thing about Lauren or he was glad that Lauren wasn't with them. Emily couldn't began to think of what might happen to her child now that she was falling in tot Tartarus. Emily has no idea of how long they been falling, it could have been days or even years, she hoped it wasn't the latter. Wind was whistling in her ears, the air was growing hotter and damper as through they were not falling tomTartarus but to the center of the earth. It was absolute dark, desisted there fact, that Emily could see everything clear, she was a bit glad of her night vision that came from Hades.

Emily knows that her ankle was no longer in the spider's silk, Emily wasn't sure of how her ankle managed to get trapped by the silk expect for maybe Arachne using it to catch another demigod to go to Tartarus with Annabeth. Most likely to be the other demigod that was used to wake up Gaea, Arachne thought it was a male she managed to get a hold of not Emily. So that there three extra demigods that were falling with a Annabeth since Rome, Emily hoped that Bucky was all right. She couldn't began to think of what could happen to him, she just hoped that he won't go back to being the winter soldier. It seem so unfair, she found. Some new siblings though one of them could those Lauren's or Steve's place, even if Lauren wasn't her sister by blood but though marriage. Than after sixty seven years she found Steve and Lauren, so that those huge wounds started to heal more. A process that started when she found and saved Phil.

Than a few months later, her life seem to turn upside down when she learned to what happen to Bucky, only to learn that her memories were gone till he saw her. This his memories were restored by looking at her and going to the museum of where the Lieutenant USA and Captain America exhibit was. So Bucky was back and returned to her, filling in that last miss piece, the months after wards was difficult. For there were battles and monsters kept coming at the camps or demigods. A few times the Romans and Greeks were close of finding each other, than taking care of some traitors as the Gaea started to wise up from her sleep once more. Things started to look up more when she learned she was pregnant but this the prophecy of the eight started, two of her half siblings are part of that prophecy. Things were going their way when they reached Rome than Emily's ankle managed to get silk on it and she was puled into Tartarus along with Annabeth, Percy and Steve.

Emily never expected her life to be easy, but she expected to have her family besides her. She felt so alone after the war ended in Europe, than she helped other demigods not to have since have a hard life she did as well as the ones that went before them. Even with Phil and Arabella, she still felt lost and lonely without Lauren, Steve and Bucky. But keeping the hope that she would learn of what happen to them, even if they died before Emily doesn't learn of what happen to them before that happens. For Emily wanted at least closure, maybe go on with the life she has since she accepted Hades offer. She knows that demigods die young at the hands of monsters, for that was like since the start and Greeks invented tragedy. That the greatest hero's didn't always get the happy endings that they deserved after going through so much. But this wasn't fair, true she has her brother, but once more she lost Bucky, though in case it would It would be more like he lost her.

That this was a twisted fate of Gaea, Emily knows that she was older, more vicious and more bloodthirsty than any other god or goddess that was known. Emily could almost hear Gaea laughing as they fell, Emily held tight to Steve as they fell and he was holding on pot her just as tightly. She has her head against his chest and he out he I head over the too of her head to do his best to protect her from the landing that was bound to come, maybe. Emily has no idea if they would even land and that hey just keep falling and falling for there would be no end. Emily wished she could think of what to do, but she wasn't sure of what to do, as they fell that Emily noticed some changes in their surroundings. So that means that they were almost to the pit, for he whistling become more of a roar, the air was become intolerably hot, with a small like rotten eggs and the darkness too on a grey red tinge. Suddenly the chute the were falling through opened into a vast cavern, it surprised Emily to see the cavern below her.

It was maybe a half mile below them, the entire island of Manhattan could fit into the cavern below them. It was hard to see the full extent of the cavern below them, it seems endless of how big it was. Red clouds hunt in the sir like vaporized blood, the landscape, or what she could see of it, was rocky black plains that was punctuated by jagged mountains and fiery chasms. To Emily's left, on the other side of Annabeth and Percy, that the ground dropped away in a series of cliffs. Like they were steps leading deeper into the abyss of Tartarus, like saying come face your death. Emily could smell sulphur in the air, Emily managed to allow the poppy to grow below herself and Steve but with how weak she was that she couldn't out it under Annabeth and Percy. So that when Emily and Steve landed on the ground, that they landed on top of the poppy, they managed to get up once they landed. As they a rood up and her poppy grew back that she barely heard Percy yell before the water of the nearby river erupted in a massive geyser and shallows them whole.

Emily cried out when the water went back down into the river with Percy and Annabeth in the massive geyser, Emily knows what river that they entered. For she went right by it many times in the last around seventy years, plus she gained a knowledge of the underworld when she was adopted by Hades. Emily ran towards the river and Steve followed close behind her, he was out of breath as they ran. Emily's own breathing was getting heavier as she ran to the river. Percy and Annabeth managed to break the surface with Annabeth helping Percy, Percy seem to be losing his strength as he tried to get himself and Annabeht out of the river. Emily thought of entering the river to help but decided against it, for she was unsure of the river would react to her if she stepped into it in Tartarus. Steve managed to say something.

"There is a river in Tartarus, I thought we just fall till we fell through another hole or something."

"Yes, all the rivers of the underworld flow through Tartarus. This is the Cocytus – the River of Lamentation." Emily could see them coming closer and it seems like they were having a hard time of swimming the river. When Annabeht and Percy were close enough that Steve and Emily helped them out of the river. They were shivering and gasping, both of them collapsed on the dark sand, Emily went down on her knees. Steve remained standing but he looked like if he might fall over any minute. But this Emily noticed something as she looked at her arms, they were covered with an angry rash. Emily managed to get to her feet and realized the sand was jagged black glass chips. It seems the air was acid and the water was misery. Emily could understood of why no mortals survived this place, it was a wonder of how Nico and Arabella managed to get out of this place. An Percy coughed before he spoke.

"This place smells like my ex-stepfather." Emily managed a weak smile, Emily heard that Percy have two step fathers, though she never heard about the other step father. Emily managed to kneel down again and cut off the spider web from her ankles with her dagger before standing up once more. Emily walked over to Annabeth, she remembered seeing Annabeth losing her knife as they fell into Tartarus along with the laptop. Annabeth would need to defend herself down her and Emily has two swords that she can. So Emily held out the hilt of her dagger to Annabeth of who looked slightly surprised.

"I know your dagger is lost, I already have two swords I can use, you can keep this dagger." Annabeth took it and smiled slightly. Emily looked over at Percy, he looked bad. His dark hair was plastered across his forehead, his shirt was ripped to shreds, his fingers were scraped raw from holding onto that ledge before they fell. He was shivering and his lips were blue, Steve was in better condition, he wasn't shivering but he was pale and he has angry rash on his skin as well as Emily and the other two.

"We should keep moving or we'll get hypothermia, Can you stand?" Percy nodded, Emily and Steve helped Annabeth and Percy to their feet. It seems Steve and Emily were a bit stronger than Annabeth and Percy at the moment. Emily looked up and saw no sign of the tunnel that they fell from, she couldn't even seen a roof. All Emily could see was blood colors clouds floating in the hazy grey air, that unnerved Emily. Yes, she was used to not seeing the sun when she was in the underworld but she knew that she would be able to see the sun, stars, and the moon again. Emily looked away and back at the ground, the black glass beach stretched inland for fifty yards before dropping off the edge of a cliff. Emily couldn't see the bottom of where the cliff dropped off, but she could see red light flickered as though it was illuminated by huge fires. Percy than pointed downstream.

"Look." A hundred feet away, a familiar looking baby blue Italian car crushed head first into the sand or glass. It looked just like the fist that shaded int Arachne, the same one that sent her into this pit that they were in now. Emily was sure of it, for there were not very, if any other, cars down here, before Emily could say don't go near it that and to get to the doors of death and make sure that this place doesn't kill them that Annabeth gripped Percy's hand and walked over to the car. Emily followed them with Steve at her side, one of the tires of the car was off, the windows shattered, under the crushed hood lay tattered and glistening remains of a giant silk cocoon. It looked like the same trap that Arachne was when the ship fired and send her to Tartarus. There slash marks in the sand making a trail downriver, as if something heavy, and with multiple legs, scuttled into the darkness.

"She's alive."

"It's Tartarus, Monster home court. Down here, maybe they can't be killed." Emily sighed and rolled her eyes, Emily knows that Percy was stating a fact, but that was something none of them wanted to hear. He gave Annabeth an embarrassed look. "Or maybe she's badly wounded, and she crawled away to die."

"Let's go with that." Emily was shivering slightly as well as Steve, but they were not shivering as bad as Annabeth and Percy were. Not only that but her breathing was getting more labour end.

"This place is killing us, I mean, it's literally going to kill us, unless …"

"Unless what? You've got a brilliant plan, haven't you?" However it was Emily that spoke.

"My guess is the plan is to find the river of Fire, the Phlegethon." Steve, Percy and Annabeth looked at her, she looked at them before she spoke. "Unless if you forget, Hades adopted me. So I know the underworld and it's rivers. Thankfully those rivers run through here, but don't ask me to direct this, for I don't know anything about this place besides from what I heard and the rivers."

When they reached the ledge that Emily saw what lay ahead of them, as she looked out that she wished that she was back on the one HYDRA base of where Steve and herself freed the Howling Commandos and Bucky. At that time, that seemed like a challenges, but it seems everything since than make that look like a piece of cake, but this tops of everything else that she ever down in her longer than normal demigod life. The cliff dropped more than eight feet, at the bottom stretched a nightmarish versions of the gran canyon. A river of fire cutting a path throughout a jagged obsidian crevasse, the glowing red current casting horrible shadows across the cliff faces. Even though she was immune to the heat of fire, she could feel the hear of the fire, so that she felt raw and sunburnt.

"Uh …" Percy was looking at the cliff. Than he pointed to a tiny fissure running diagonally from the edge to the bottom. "We can try that ledge there. Might be able to climb down." He sounded hopefully, but Emily had a better idea.

"I got a better one." Emily let her poppy grow and tied itself around a rock that was was strong and big enough to allow four people to climb done a vine. Emily went down first while the others followed her, it took a couple of minutes before they managed to make it down the poppy. When Percy got off that Emily allowed the poppy to go back of how it was. Red boils were forming over their skin, Emily was worried that this might affect the child in her, provided that she gets out. Emily's vision was getting a little blurry, her throat felt blistered, and her stomach was clenching. Annabeth managed to say something.

"Just to the river, We can do this." The staggered over the slick glass ledges, around massive boulders. Emily's tattered clothes steamed from the hear of the river, but they kept coming till they reached the banks of the Phlegethon. Percy and Annabeth crumpled to their knees when they reached the banks. "We have to drink." Percy swayed.

"Uh … drink fire?" It was Emily that spoke.

"The Phlegethon flows from my father's realm down here like all river of the underworld do at one point or another. The river is used to punish the wicked, like Minos for example, he now swims in this river after playing that trick on Nico of which almost lead to the death of two his children. Of which something he doesn't take to kindly to. But there are some legends that also call the river of fire, the river of healing." Steve looked in her surprise when she said that but it was Percy who spoke.

"Some legends?" Emily swallowed before she went on, her breathing was becoming more difficult.

"The Phlegethon keeps the wicked in one piece so that they can endure the torments of the fields of punishment. It's like the underworld equivalent of ambrosia and nectar, but ambrosia and nectar, as well as my healing abilities won't have any affect unless if we drink from the river." Percy winces as cinders sprayed from the river and curling around his face,

"But it's fire. How can we –" Before Percy went on that Emily knelt down and thrust her hands into the river, Emily put her hands in this river before. But it was in the underworld and it didn't seem to effect her as much as it was now, Emily figured that was partly because of the face when she did that before that it was in the underworld. That Tartarus makes everything worse from air to rock, of which was not surprising. However like in the underworld, the fire was cold, Emily cupped the fiery liquid in her palms and raised it to her mouth. Of which was something she never did before, she has no idea what it would taste like, but Emily didn't expect the taste to be like Chilli pepper. Her sinuses fillies with liquid flame, her mouth felt like it was being deep fried, it felt like her eyes were going to shed boiling tears. Emily was close of collapsed but she felt her healing ability kicking in, she started to breath normally, the rash and boils were starting to fade. Than Steve spoke.

"It worked."

"It did, but I have a feeling your guys reaction to it would be worse than my was. But drink it though." Steve, Percy and Annabeth managed to follow suit and drank from the Phlegethon. Emily could tell that the effects inside were similar to her own, but the others collapsed and started to gag and retching. Their bodies were shaking violently, Emily managed to grabbed them before they rolled into the river, Emily used her poppy to pull Steve back from the river while she grabbed Percy and Annabeth. They started to breath and the breathing was coming easier, their blisters on their bodies were fading just like hers. But they looked nauseous, emit was sure that she looked nauseous as well.

"It worked. For now. The problem is we're still in Tartarus." Emily spoke up when Annabeth said that.

"It still will work, we just needed to drink and Tartarus won't kill us like it was when he entered this place." Emily got up and looked around, her vision was coming back, it seem hard to believe that they were in Tartarus. Than Percy spoke.

"Holy Hera. I never thought … well, I'm not sure what I thought. Maybe that Tartarus was empty space, a pit with no bottom. But this is a real place."

"We haven't seen all of it. This could be just the first tiny part of the abyss, like the front steps."

"The welcome mat." All of them gazed up at the blood colored clouds swirling in the grey haze, there was no way that they would be able to climb up that cliff, even if they wanted to. They either going to go upriver or downriver of the Phlegethon, as Emily looked up that she put her hand over her stomach. She knows the child was still alive, even after of what happened, she wasn't sure of how that was possible. For she could still feel her Hestia powers telling her that she was with her child, as she put her hand on her stomach that Steve spoke.

"I forget about that." Emily looked over at Steve, confused for a Minute before she remembered what happen with those nymphs and how Hago revealed she was with a child. Emily looked away from the sky before looking at Steve while Percy and Annabeth looked over at Emily and Steve.

"It's hard for me to forget." Annabeth spoke up.

"What are you talking about?" Emily looked over at Annabeth.

"I am pregnant and have been for two weeks, it might be three weeks if that one poem is correct in saying that it takes nine days to fall into Tartarus."

"You're pregnant? How could you know after two weeks, that's impossible."

"No, it is not, Annabeth. I am the champion of Hestia and I can sense when a new family connection is made, no matter through marriage or a new life. My Hestia powers been in over old in the last couple of weeks." Annabeth was about ready to say something when Percy spoke up.

"Emily being pregnant so not the point, Annabeth. But We need find a way out. Out best chance are The Doors of Death." Annabeth nodded before she shuddered, Emily remembered what Percy and Steve said before the fell down here. That they promise Nico and Arabella to lead the Argo II to Epirus, that might been one of the worst part about the whole thing. That just after getting her two siblings back that she fell into Tartarus, after over a week of worrying about them. After this whole thing is over that Emily decided not to being this up if Fred's mother ask of what happen to Emily and Arabella when she sees them. Emily hoped that they could live through this place, seal the doors of death and than be back in Bucky's arms as well as see her other half siblings, Nico, Arabella, Hazel, Jennifer and Phil. Emily couldn't began to think of what was going on with her mother now besides her two sides fighting with each other.

"We have to. Not just for us. For everybody we love. The Doors have to be closed on both sides, or the monsters will just keep coming through. Gaea's forces will overrun the world."

"Well. If we stay close to the river, we'll have a way to heal ourselves. If we go downstream –" What happened next happened rather quickly that she didn't get all of it, something was behind Annabeth was ready to kill her, Emily barely noticed that it was Arachne before Percy's pen turned into his sword and killed Arachne. Emily stood there stunned, just like Annabeth, the only difference was that Emily wasn't covered in gold dust like Annabeth was.

"You okay?" Emily scanned the cliffs and the boulders, she wondered how many monsters were down here, including ones she killed. Annabeth was staring at Percy in amazement, Emily looked at Steve who looked shocked and stunned. Emily could hear riptide moving around as it made a defiant hiss like a riles snake.

"She … she would've killed me." Percy kicked the dust on the rocks, his expression was grim and dissatisfied.

"She died too easily, considering how much torture she put you through. She deserved worse."

"How did you move so fast?" Percy shrugged.

"Gotta watch each other's backs, right? Now, you were saying … downstream?" Annabeth nodded, she was still in a daze and Emily couldn't blame Annabeth for that after what happened. Emiltmwas at least glad that monsters could be killed but they would reform faster down here than above.

"Yeah, downstream. If the river comes from the upper levels of the Underworld, it should flow deeper into Tartarus –"

"So it leads into more dangerous territory: Which is probably where the Doors are. Lucky us." They travelled a few hundred yards when Emily heard voices, all of them were pretty much plodded along. Emily was about ready to say something when Annabeth bested her to it.

"Percy, down!" Annabeth pulled Percy behind the nearest boulder, while Emily took hold of Steve's arm and they backed up to the cliffs. Emily allowed the shadows to cover them so that the monsters wouldn't see them, on the narrow path between the river and cliffs was where the voices came from. The voices sounded human enough, but she doubted that they were human though, for some monsters do sound like human in their monster form. Emily was worried that the monsters might have smelled them by now, for there four demigods, two of which were children of the big three. Originally Emily wasn't a daughter of Hades, but once she become a daughter of Hades that her smell increase to the monsters. As the monsters entered her view that she nearly gasp but she held it in, for it was Empousai, there was at least four of them. Emily was also able to hear them.

"Soon?" The one spoke with a raspy voice, Emily wondered if she couldn't breath properly down here.

"Oh my gods!" The one that just spoke was more younger in looks and voice as well as more human. The one that spoke was a teenage mortal girl in a tattered cheerleader outfit. "You guys are totally annoying! I told you, it's like three days from here." Emily could see Percy and Annabeth, she noticed that Percy was gripping Annabeth's wrist. Than they paused at the other side of the boulder and were out of Emily's sight for the moment. Emily hoped that a demigod's scent was different down here, though it seems it might be or there many other smells that cover up a demigod's smell.

"I wonder, if perhaps you do not know the way, young one." The cheerleader spoke,

"Oh, shut your fang hole, Serephone. When's the last time you escaped to the mortal world? I was there a couple of years ago. I know the way! Besides, I understand what we're facing up there. You don't have a clue!"

"The Earth Mother did not make you boss!" There was more hissing, scuffling and moans, like alley cars fighting but bigger. Than the one called Serephone yelled.

"Enough!" The noise died down. "We will follow for now. But if you do not lead us well, if we find you have lied about the summons of Gaea –"

"I don't lie! Believe me, I've got good reason to get into this battle. I have some enemies to devour, and you'll feast on the blood of heroes. Just leave one special morsel for me – the one named Percy Jackson." When the one cheerleader said that, that Emily knew that this cheerleader faced Percy before. But when that happened was beyond her, not that it mattered at the moment. "Believe me, Gaea has called us, and we're going to have so much fun. Before this war is over, mortals and demigods will tremble at the sound of my name – Kelli!" Emily than realized who the cheerleader was,she was one of the ones at Colonel Phillips's workshop, or Daedalus. She remembered her because Annaberh stabbed Kelli in the back and sent Kelli here to Tartarus. The five Empousai walked away from the boulder. When the Empousai were far enough away that Emily allowed the shadows to return to normal and both Steve and Emily went over to where Percy and Annabeth were as Percy rose.

"They're heading for the Doors of Death. You know what that means?" Emily knows what that means all right.

"Yeah, We need to follow them."


	24. Chapter 24

Bucky was above with Jason, Arabella and Hazel, Hazel was guiding the ship brought the pass. Honestly he wished he never fell off that train, but than again there was a chance that he would been thrown into this life at any rate. Since he married Emily during the war, even before he married her that he knew monsters be attracted to her because of what she was. He didn't know that she was a demigod at first and neither did she, but he found out about fourteen years later. About ten to eleven years after Emily learned she was a demigod and a year after Steve learned he was a demigod. It was odd knowing that your best friend and wife were demigods, but than learning that you were one as well that was like having cake in his face. He wasn't sure of what might have happen to them if he didn't fall off of that train all those years ago. He wondered if she would have crashed into the ice like Steve did instead or would they both crash? There so many things that could have happened if happened, haut thinking of what could happen if he didn't fall was driving him nuts.

Haut knowing he was part of this life as well as fighting off the monsters that were attracted to the ship was also driving him crazy. He has no idea of Emily managed to do this for seventy years without going crazy and without Steve, Lauren or himself there. She been gone for like three days now and he was going crazy already, Bucky felt like he was losing himself. He did had best to remain clam, but without Emily there and her presence to comfort him, it was difficult. He also kept the brought of Emily in mind of which was the only thing at kept him calm and going crazy. Lauren didn't seem much better, but at least she was sleeping at the moment, for she lost just as much as sleep as he did in the last few days since Rome. After a few hours that they managed to get through the pass, so Bucky and Jason woke up the others. Bucky woke up Lauren, Phil and Aubrey before they entered the mess hall together. As far as Bucky knows, only Hazel, Frank and Aubrey never seen Camp Halfblood expect for seeing it on the walls.

When he looked at the walls that it was in the middle of the night, torches sputtered at the cabin doorways, moonlight glittered on the waves of the Long Island shore. The beach was covered in footprints like a big crowd just left, than Bucky's heart clenched when he realized what yesterday was. Yesterday was the Fourth of July, not only that but it was also Emily's and Steve's birthday as well as the day he asked Emily to be his girlfriend. He been so worried about Emily that he forget about that, however he wasn't sure if he would have remembered anyway or even Emily and Steve would remember. But sat down at the table along with Phil, Aubrey and Lauren, while the others came in the meeting and breakfast. Bucky at least managed to eat, but Arabella and Nico hardly ate much of anything since they were rescued from the giants. Of which concerned Bucky as much as Emily being in Tartarus, Bucky noticed that no one seem to be eating at the moment. Thankfully Emily didn't tell them farm or anything that Demeter was obsessed over, but Emily always made sure that everyone ate enough.

"So, now that we're here …" Jason was sitting at the head of the table by default since they lost Annabeth, Jason did his best to feel in as the group's leader but it was rather difficult for Jason. Bucky could see that he was rather stressed, he figured that was partly because he got used to working with someone as a leader or he got used to Annabeth as the leader. Jason's eyes were more sunken than usual, his blond was messy like Jason forget to comb it. Hazel was bleary eyes, her hair was tied back in a bandanna of which gave her a commando look. Next to her was Frank, in black workout pants and a shirt that said CIAO on it, Bucky wasn't even going to try to figure of why Frank has that shirt. Nico looked slightly better since they rescued him, but he was still too thin and too pale, Bucky hoped Tartarus won't affect her as much as it did Arabella or Nico. The one one that wasn't there was Piper, Bucky zoned out as Jason spoke, it wasn't till he reached near the end that Bucky heard what he said.

"– the House of Hades, Nico?" Nico sat forward.

"I communed with the dead last night." It sent shivers down his spine when Nico said that, he knows Emily can to ask with the dead as well. But she never talks about it with him of which he was fine with and he was sure that Emily knows that it would bug him. It was still hard to believe that Emily was adopted by Hades, sure in her other appearance she looks the part and even has that aura that she allows others to feel when she was in her daughter of Hades appearance. Sure she was scary when she allows that aura to go to it's full height, but still, she wasn't as creepy as Nico was. "I was able to learn more about what we'll face. In ancient times, the House of Hades was a major site for Greek pilgrims. They would come to speak with the dead and honour their ancestors."

"Sounds like Día de los Muertos. My Aunt Rosa took that stuff seriously." Bucky never heard hat kind of thing before, but than again he grew up in an orphanage.

"Chinese have that, too – ancestor worship, sweeping the graves in the springtime. Your Aunt Rosa would've got along with my grandmother."

"Yeah, I'm sure they would've been best buds." Nico clear his throat.

"A lot of cultures have seasonal traditions to honour the dead, but the House of Hades was open year round. Pilgrims could actually speak to the ghosts. In Greek, the place was called the Necromanteion, the Oracle of Death. You'd work your way through different levels of tunnels, leaving offerings and drinking special potions –"

"Special potions. Yum." Jason gave Leo a look that said, dude, enough.

"Nico, go on."

"The pilgrims believed that each level of the temple brought you closer to the Underworld, until the dead would appear before you. If they were pleased with your offerings, they would answer your questions, maybe even tell you the future."

"And if the spirits weren't pleased?"

"Some pilgrims found nothing. Some went insane or died after leaving the temple. Others lost their way in the tunnels and were never seen again."

"The point is, Nico found some information that might help us."

"Yeah. The ghost I spoke to last night … he was a former priest of Hecate. He confirmed what the goddess told Hazel yesterday at the crossroads. In the first war with the giants, Hecate fought for the gods. She slew one of the giants – one who'd been designed as the anti-Hecate. A guy named Clytius."

"Dark dude. Wrapped in shadows." Bucky looked over at Leo when he said that. Hazel turned towards Leo and her eyes narrowed,

"Leo, how did you know that?"

"Kind of had a dream." No was surprised, whenever Bucky did managed to go to sleep that he dreamed of Gaea or Emily being in Tartarus by herself with no aid. Bucky knew the last part wasn't true but it still scared knowing that anything could happen to her down there wince he wasn't there to help her. Leo explained of what he saw in his dream and the woman offered two ways to die, when he finished that Jason pushed away his plate of pancakes.

"So the giant is Clytius. I suppose he'll be waiting for us, guarding the Doors of Death."

"And the woman in Leo's dream?" Hazel passed a diamond between her fingers as she spoke.

"She's my problem. Hecate mentioned a formidable enemy in the House of Hades – a witch who couldn't be defeated except by me, using magic."

"Do you know magic?"

"Not yet."

"Ah. Any idea who she is?" Hazel shook her head.

"Only that …" Hazel looked at Nico, Jennifer and Arabella, they seem to have a silent argument happen between them. Bucky was sure that they talked about the house of a hades before, of what it was about he wasn't sure. "Only that she won't be easy to defeat." Bucky spoke up.

"If Emily or Annabeth were here, they would know who she is." No one spoke for a minute, it was Nico who broke the still silence that followed that statement.

"But there is some good news. The ghost I talked to explained how Hecate defeated Clytius in the first war. She used her torches to set his hair on fire. He burned to death. In other words, fire is his weakness." Everyone looked at Leo and Bucky.

"Oh, Okay." Jason nodded as though that was great news, but Bucky wasn't totally sure if their fire could work or not.

"It's a good lead. At least we know how to kill the giant. And this sorceress … well, if Hecate believes Hazel can defeat her, then so do I." Hazel dropped her eyes.

"Now we just have to reach the House of Hades, battle our way through Gaia's forces –"

"Plus a bunch of ghosts. The spirits in that temple may not be friendly."

"– and find the Doors of Death. Assuming we can somehow arrive at the same time as Percy and Annabeth and rescue them." Frank swallowed a bite of pancake.

"We can do it. We have to."

"So, with this detour, I'm estimating four or five days to arrive at Epirus, assuming no delays for, you know, monster attacks and stuff." Jason smiled sourly.

"Yeah. Those never happen." Bucky looked over at Hazel but Leo spoke.

"Hecate told you that Gaea was planning her big Wake Up party on August first, right? The Feast of Whatever?"

"Spes, The goddess of hope."

"Theoretically, that leaves us enough time. It's only July fifth. We should be able to close the Doors of Death, then find the giants' HQ and stop them from waking Gaia before August first."

"Theoretically. But I'd still like to know how we make our way through the House of Hades without going insane or dying." No one volunteered any ideas, Frank set down his pancake roll like it suddenly didn't taste so good.

"It's July fifth. Oh, jeez, I hadn't even thought of that …"

"Hey, man, it's cool, You're Canadian, right? I didn't expect you to get me an Independence Day present or anything … unless you wanted to." Bucky rolled his eyes, he was pretty sure that was not what Frank was thinking about.

"It's not that. My grandmother … she always told me that seven was an unlucky number. It was a ghost number. She didn't like it when I told her there would be seven demigods on our quest. And July is the seventh month."

"Yeah, but …" Leo started to tap his fingers nervously on the table, it was morse code, he knows for he learned at camp. The message said I love you, Bucky looked at Leo wondering why Leo was tapping that, but let seem to notice what he was doing at stopped. "But that's just coincidence, right?" Frank expression seem grim.

"Back in China, in the old days, people called the seventh month the ghost month. That's when the spirit world and the human world were closest. The living and the dead could go back and forth. Tell me it's a coincidence we're searching for the Doors of Death during the ghost month." No one spoke for a minute, Bucky wondered if Emily knew any of this, she did have the time to learn this stuff. Jason pressed his hands against the arms of his chair before he spoke.

"Let's focus on the things we can deal with. We're getting close to Bologna. Maybe we'll get more answers once we find these dwarfs that Hecate –" The ship lurched as if it hit an iceberg, Bucky's plat slid across the table. Nico fell backwards out of his chair and banged his head against the sideboard before he collapsed on the floor with a dozen goblets and platters crashing down on top of him. Jennifer and Hazel shouted at the same time.

"Nico!" Jennifer and Hazel ran to help him.

"What –?" Frank tried to stand but the ship pitched in the other direction and he stumbled into the table before he went face first into Leo's plate of scrambled eggs.

"Look!" Jason was pointing at the walls, the images of Camp Half-Blood were flickering and changing. Leo murmured.

"Not possible." Suddenly a huge distorted face filled the entire port side wall: crooked yellow teeth, a scraggly red beard, a warty nose and two mismatched eyes, one was much larger and higher than the other.,the face seem to be trying to eat it's what into the room. The other walls flickered, showing scenes from above deck, Piper stood at the helm but something was wrong. From shoulders down she was wrapped in duct tape, her mouth was gagged and her legs bound to the control console. At the mainmast, Gleeson was similarly bound and gagged, while a bizarre looking creature was dancing around him doing Gleeson's hair in tint pigtails with pink rubber bands. On the port side wall the huge ugly face receded so that the creature was similar to the one dancing around a Gleeson. The one was leaping around the deck stuffing things into a bag, including Piper's dagger, Leo's controllers as well as the Archimedes sphere.

"No!"

"Uhhh."

"Piper!"

"Monkey!"

"Not monkeys, I think those are dwarfs."

"Stealing my stuff!" Leo ran for the stairs. Hazel shouted after Leo ran up the stairs.

"Go! We will take care of Nico!" Bucky went over to where Nico and his two sisters and picked him up before carrying him to the sickbay of which wasn't very easy to do with the statue. Jennifer and Hazel tried to get him to wake up and feed him some nectar and ambrosia. Bucky went to one side and watch them, Bucky did wanted to get to know Emily's siblings and it was no problem with Phil or even Jennifer and Hazel. Bucky knows Steve for most of their lives before World War II, he will admit that he got close to Arabella and Nico since he meet them but he wasn't as close to them as he was to the other two. For Nico and Arabella still freaked him out somewhat so he was unsure of what to say or do around them. Bucky sat down on one of the bedside in sickbay and just watched the three siblings.

Not only was Bucky worried about Emily but he was worried about Arabella as well, it seem that Arabella took it pretty hard when Emily fell into Tartarus. For Arabella remained silent and only spoke to Nico, she only came out a few times but otherwise was in the room that she was sharing with Hazel. Though Bucky wasn't sure of how took it the hardest when Emily and the other three fell in Tartarus. After a minute, Bucky got up and went to his cabin, once inside that he sat in the bed, the cabin was a mess. After he learned of what happened to Emily, Steve, Percy and Annabeth flame that they fell into Tartarus that you could say that Bucky went on a warpath. The cabin was in way, the walls were rather dented from the amount of times he hit the walls with both of his arms and his clothing was ripped he thrown around the room. The few things in the room were on their side or had some sort of damage to it. It took him a while to calm down, he figured with all the noise coming from the cabin that no one dared entered while he was destroying the room. Bucky sat on the bed deep in thought, wondering when Leo would get back so that they could go and find his wife and best friend. So that his best friend was at his side again and Emily was back safe in his arms once more.

Phil's pov

The fact that Emily was down in Tartarus bothered him greatly, but it seem to bother Bucky more than it did him as well as Lauren. Emily became a sister to him of which she was, but he still sees Steve more as Captain America, so they hadn't really formed a brotherly relationship as yet. But with Lauren and Bucky it was different for Phil knew that Lauren grew up with Emily and the same can be said for Bucky and Steve. Than of course Bucky was married to Emily and Lauren was married to Steve now, plus Annabeth and Percy were down there with them of which didn't help any of them at all. It was bad enough to lose two of them but did they have to lose four members on this quest. With what happen with the dwarf monkeys that spirits didn't seem to improve, Jason and Leo went after those two things. Phil figured that they could handle themselves going those two whatever they were.

Phil decided to check on the three children of Hades or Pluto, when he managed to enter that Nico was sitting up with his two sisters. But Bucky wasn't in there nor was Arabella, Phil figured that Bucky wasn't going to be in there, so he went down the hall to Bucky's and Emily's cabin. He knocked a couple of times before he entered the cabin, not very many entered the cabin since Emily and Steve fell into Tartarus. It was clear that Bucky would enter a bad mood judging from the state of the cabin, for some of the wood was dented of where close of being a hole. There also some clothes on the floor, a couple of the clothes were ripped as well, Phil wondered of how strong that metal arm was of Bucky's. Bucky was sitting on the bed but he doesn't seem in the mood of what the room looks like.

"Bucky."

"Hi Phil." Phil managed to get over to the bed before he spoke.

"Are you all right?" Phil glanced around the room, Bucky followed his gaze around the room.

"I been better." Bucky sighed and put his head against the wall of his cabin. "Do you think we will make it?" Bucky looked over at Phil.

"I am sure." Bucky didn't look as sure, Phil would admit that he was not sure himself. But he been around Emily long enough to know that if there was a slim hope that you should hang into. "If there is a small hope than there is a chance we can make it."

"I hope you are right." Phil left when Bucky said that, after a couple of hours that Leo and Jason came back, once Piper was free from her bondage as well as Gleeson and the sphere was back on the controls that they resumed their trip to the house of Hades.

Emily's pov

Emily wasn't sure of how much longer they could go on, thankfully Emily managed to conjure up some food and water for them to have as they followed the vampire girls. Along side the river Phlegethon. It was tricky to stay far enough back to avoid getting spotted but close enough to keep the vampire girls in view through the dark hazy air. The hear baked Emily's skin, every breath was like inhaling sulphur scented fiberglass. A few times they took a sip from the liquid fire. At least Annabeth's ankle seem to have healed, for she was hardly limping at all, not only that but their various cuts and scrapes faded. Emily tied her hair back with a strip of denim torn from her jeans, Annabeth also did the same thing as well. Emily walked along besides Steve while Percy and Annabeth were up ahead of them, Emily wasn't sure of how much time has past since they fell down here. After a while Steve spoke quietly.

"I wonder of how Arabella and Nico got out here?"

"I don't know but we are going to get out of here as well." Steve nodded when Emily said that, as they walked along that Emily felt like she was going to give up. She wanted to curl up and die, she wasn't sure of how the others were taking it, but she could fell Tartarus living and breathing as she walked along. She wasn't sure if it was just her or if by any chance it has something to do with being a daughter of Hades. But Emily forced herself to remind herself of who she was and that Bucky was up here waiting for her to come back that she has Steve at her side. That was pretty much the whole thing that kept her going in this pit of death and monsters. Emily was rather glad that Empousai were not speed walkers, they shuffled on their mismatched legs as well as hissing and fighting with each other. Apparently they were in no hurry to reach the doors of death. Once the demons sped up in excitement and swarm something that looked like a beached carcass on the riverbank. Emily couldn't tell what it was and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know what that was that they ate. When the demons moved on that they reached the spot of where the carcass was, but they found nothing but a few splintered bones and glistening stains drying in the best of the river.

"Come on." Percy led Annabeth gently away from the scene while Emily and Steve followed behind. "We don't want to lose them." Once more Emily found herself watching for the days of World War II, for the challenges and problems that she faced than seem so simple compared to now a days. Unlike before there seem to be no where she would feel safe or to go to for help and protection. Emily stumbled a couple of times and Steve caught her before she would fall on her face, he put one arm around her and she put an arm around him and put her head down his shoulder. Emily could still the baby inside of her and the baby seem healthy enough from what she could tell. But she hopes that Tartarus won't affect the child. After a few more miles that the Empousai disappeared over a ridge, the river Phlegethon spilled over the side in jagged tiers of fiery waterfalls. The Empousai were picking their way down the cliff, jumping from ledge to ledge like mountain goats.

Emily felt her heart crept into her throat, even if the four of them reached the bottom of the cliff alive that it seems that their journey would only become worse. So there wasn't much to look forward to, Emily was sure that it would get worse as they moved forward towards the doors of death. The landscape below them was a bleak ash grey plain bristling with black trees, that reminded her of insect hair. The ground was pocked with blisters, every once in a while that a bubble would swell and burst before disgorging a monster like larva from an egg. Emily wanted to throw up as she looked down below them, with the baby inside her that feeling increase. All the newly formed monsters were crawling and hobbling in the same direction, towards a bank of black fog that swallowed the horizon like a storm front. The Phlegethon flowed in the same direction until halfway across the plain of where it met another river of black water. Emily couldn't remember the name of that river but as the two rivers combined that it made a steaming boiling cataract and flowed on as one towards the black fog. The longer Emily looked at the storm of darkness that the less she wasted to go there but they have to go for she was sure that the doors of death were in that direction. The doors were the only way for them to go home, Percy peered over the edge of cliff.

"Wish we could fly." Annabeth rubbed her arms.

"Remember Luke's winged shoes? I wonder if they're still down here somewhere." Steve looked at Emily, Emily merely shrugged, she wasn't sure what Percy and Annabeth were talkin. About.

"I'd settle for a hang glider."

"Maybe not a good idea." Annabeth pointed above them. Emily looked up to see dark winged shapes spiraled in and out of the blood red clouds.

"Furies?"

"No, those are not Furies, those are some other kind of demon, there are thousands down here, I am sure of that."

"Including the kind that eats hang gliders. Okay, so we climb." Emily couldn't see the Empousai below any more, they disappeared behind one of the ridges of which didn't make Emily feel any better. For there was a chance that they might be hiding for them to come down there to eat them. But it was clear of where the needed to go, like all the monsters crawling the plains of Tartarus that they should head towards the dark horizon. Emily used her poppy to help all four of them to climb down so that they have something to hang onto if they should lose their footing. But it was still challenging to keep their footing and avoiding rockslides to alert monsters to their presence, as well as making sure that they didn't plummet to their deaths. Halfway down the steep cliff that Annabeth spoke up.

"Stop, okay? Just a quick break." Emily noticed of how wobbling her legs were, it wasn't very good, she heard Percy curse himself. They managed to sit on a ledge together, next to a roaring fiery waterfall. Percy put his arms around Annabeth and Annabeth leaned against him, she was shaking for. Exhaustion, Emily didn't feel much better. She leaned against Steve of who put an arm around her shoulders, Emily got so use to Bucky and his metal arm that it seem strange to have a flesh arm over her shoulders as oppose to a metal one. Emily managed to to conjured up some food and water for them to drink and eat, but they didn't or drink too much.

"Things could be worse."

"Yeah?" Percy tried to sound upbeat, Emily was at least glad that Pecy was trying to be upbeat. Annabeth snuggled up against Percy.

"We could've fallen into the River Lethe. Lost all our memories." Emily smiled lightly, she remembered hearing about that from Hades and how pissed off he was with her half sister making the sword with his approval first. Emily couldn't believe that her half sister did such a thing to trick Percy, Nico and Thalia. Apparently Percy and Iapetus fell into the river but due to Percy being a son of Poseidon that the Lethe didn't effort him since he remained dry. Iapetus, on the other hand, lost his memories, she remembered when the three of them left Iapetus at Hades' palace. Hades didn't treat Iapetus too well at first but Emily managed to get Hades to treat him better. She pointed out to Hades that he wasn't dangerous any more, that his memories were gone. She also pointed out that he was friendly, happy and totally clueless of who and what he was. That this could be a new start for him, so Hades treated Iapetus after that, Nico and Emily told him of the things that happen above. It was more on Emily's part, Nico told him about Percy, one time Iapetus, of who was renamed Bob, asked Emily about Percy.

Emily did tell him that Percy was a good person and told Bob more about Percy, Bob did ask of why Percy hasn't visited him, Emily told him that Percy has been really busy with fighting in a war. That he was also in training to become a hero and that Percy didn't have much time to visit his friends that were not fighting along side him or training with him. Bob was sadden by the fact Percy hasn't visit but he understood st Percy was needed for the war effort. Bob accepted that fact, it was perfectly true of what Emily told Bob, for Percy was in a war with Kronos and he was on a lot of missions before having a small break before he was taken to be trained for Camp Jupiter. It lead to where they were not, sitting on a ledge, next to a fiery waterfall in Tartarus, of where in Tartarus they are that she doesn't know, not for sure. She wished that they have a guide or someone, or at least something better than demons that eat flesh.

"Yeah, the Lethe, Not my favorite."

"What was the Titan's name?"

"Uh … Iapetus. He said it meant the Impaler or something."

"No, the name you gave him after he lost his memory. Steve?" For the second a laugh sounded in Tartarus but his time it came from Emily.

"Steve? That would be amusing to say that least." Steve smiled slightly when Emily said that, no one question her of why Emily said that but Percy answered Annabeth's question.

"Bob." Annabeth managed a weak laugh, the third laugh that was heard in Tartarus.

"Bob the Titan." Emily gazed across the ashen plains, she knows that the other titans were down here somewhere but she didn't want to know where they were or even if they been reformed her. The might be bound in chains, roaming aimlessly around Tartarus or even hiding somewhere waiting for the four of them to show themselves. Percy kissed forehead before he spoke.

"We should keep moving. You want some more fire to drink?"

"Ugh. I'll pass." The four of them struggled to their feet, the rest of the cliff looked I possible to cliff, Emily was sure it would been worse without her poppy. Emily's fingers were cramped, sen could feel blisters popping up on her ankles. Emily felt hopeless as they climbed down, she kept fighting back that hopeless, she kept reminding of what Hestia told her for the last seventy years. Of which during which Emily been looking for Steve, Bucky and Lauren and try to learn what happened to them after she last saw them and learned that they were not dead or haven't died quite yet. 'There is always hope even when it seems like there is none. Just keep in mind of the thing that you want to happen and keep that hope.' At the moment Emily wants to get out of there and be ing Bucky's arms again as well as to see her half siblings again. Emily was the first one down followed by Steve, than Percy, Percy helped Annabeth down. Emily and Steve leaned against the cliff while Percy and Annabeth collapsed on the ground. Emily looked what stretched ahead of them to where they would be going.

Ahead of them stretched miles of wasteland, bubbling with monstrous larvae and bit insect hair trees. To the right of them was the Phlegethon splitting into branches that etched the plain, widening into a delta of smoke and fire. To the north, along the main rout of the Phlegethon, were cave entrances, the ground was riddled with them. There was also spires of rock jutted up like exclamation points. As Emily looked around that she has the feeling that they were being watched, it wasn't really watching it was more implied than anything else. It was more of the fact that something was aware of them being there and that they were not suppose to be there. Emily looked at the ridges above her, she suddenly realized something and it scared and worried her worse than seeing Hades almost lose it and go into his true form or even when when she saw what Zeus did to Maria Di Angleo. The ridges above them looked more massive teeth instead of ridges, the spires of rocks looked more like broken ribs and as she moved the dirt around that she what looked like could be skin. Emily managed to shallow, for the first time she realized that Tartarus was the pit and the pit was him, that they were in his mouth. Annabeth stood before wiping soot from her face, she gazed towards the darkness on the horizon.

"We're going to be completely exposed, crossing this plain." A hundred yards ahead of them that a blister burst on the ground, a monster clawed it's way out. A glistening telkhine with slick fur, seal like body, stunted human limbs was clawing it's way out of the blister. The telkhine managed to crawl a few yards before something shot out of the nearest cave, it was so fast that Emily could only register a dark green reptilian head before it went back into the darkness. The monster snatched the squealing telkhine in it's jaws and dragged it into the darkness, Emily out her arms around Steve and held on tight. She out her head in his chest, she been through so much, she got some new half siblings and life was going while after the Titan war. She hoped that there would be a few years before another war happen or she was thrusted into something again like word war II or even the Titan war. So that she would have some time to raise her child in peace with Bucky at the avenger tower, thanks to Arabella she has so e practicing with raisin children. But this was too much, way more this anything she has been through yet, it scared her as well as freaked he out that there was since a terrible place since as this.

"Oh, yeah. This'll be fun." As Percy sisd that, that Steve told her it was all right, Emily pulled away but she refused to let to of Steve's hand as they started to walk. They did their best to avoid cave entrances and stick close to the bank of the Phlegethon, they were moving carefully around one of the spires when a movement caught her eye. Something was darting between the rocks to their right, Emily has a feeling it was a monster that she just saw but she wasn't on that. There were other things besides monsters down here that they have to worry about, but she hoped that it was friendly. Suddenly Percy froze in his tracks and Emily almost bumped into him. Percy grabbed Annabeth's arm before he spoke.

"The empousai. Where are they?" Emily scanned around, they could have been eating like that one telkhine was eating by that one monster that she has no idea of what it was. Emily knows that the Empousai were not ahead of them for they would be visible somewhere on the plains. Unless if they were hiding, Emily grasp her poppy and it changed it of her sword, Steve also drew his sword as well as Percy. Annabeth was holding tight to Emily's dagger in her hand as the Empousai emerged from the rocks all around them. The five of them formed a ring around them, the perfect trap. The one Empousai wearing a ripped cheerleader uniform limped forward on her mismatched legs. Her fiery hair burned across her shoulder like a miniature Phlegethon water fall and her cheerleader outfit was splattered with rusty brown stains. She fixed Percy with her glowing red eyes and bared her fangs.

"Percy Jackson. How awesome! I don't even have to return to the mortal world to destroy you!" Even though that there was four to five that if in the mortals world that the four of them could take on the five Empousai that stood before them but it would be tough though with how fast they can go as well as among other things. The Empousai could easily dodge their strikes, Emily was sure that they would be harder to kill down here than in the mortals world. The cheerleader hissed with laughter when her looked at Annabeth. "And your friend Annabeth is with you! Oh, yeah, I totally remember her." The cheerleader touched her own sternum, Emily remembers the battle of where she was killed of where Annabeth stabbed her in the back. Than she looked at Emily and Steve before hissing wih laughter.

"They also brought two others with them. Emily Barnes and Steve Rogers, if I am correct." Emily tried to think, even with the four of them together her they may not stand a chance, for all four of them were not in good shape for battle. Emily thought of calling for Fluffy and Mrs. O'Leary but decided against it, for who knows what could happen if she tried to call for those two. She didn't want to see the two of them become fierce wild hellhounds, she couldn't do that to her dog or even Arabella's dog. There was no help coming for them, so they four of them would have to think of something or do something. However fighting was a long shot, at the moment. This Percy spoke.

"So … I guess you're wondering what we're doing in Tartarus." The cheerleader snickered.

"Not really. I just want to kill you." Emily wasn't sure of how to respond but Annaberh chimed in.

"Too bad, Because you have no idea what's going on in the mortal world." Emily got it, she knew what Annabeth and Percy were doing now, it seems that Steve got on quickly as well.

"Yes, that is true, you don't know what has been happening. We know what have been happening." It was Steve who spoke next.

"There has been a lot of fighting that you have missed out since you been down here." He other Empousai circled and were watching the cheerleader for a cue to attack, the cheerleader only snarled crouching out of reach of Percy's sword.

"We know enough, Gaea has spoken."

"You're heading towards a major defeat." Annabeth sounded so confident, Emily was surprised by how confident Annabeth sounded. Annabeth glanced at the other Empousai, one by one, before she pointed accusingly at the cheerleader. "This one claims she's leading you to a victory. She's lying. The last time she was in the mortal world, Kelli was in charge of keeping my friend Luke Castellan faithful to Kronos. In the end, Luke rejected him. He gave his life to expel Kronos. The Titans lost because Kelli failed. Now Kelli wants to lead you to another disaster." The other Empousai muttered and shifted uneasily.

"Enough!" The cheerleader's fingernails grew into long black talons, she glared at Annabeth as if she was thinking of slicing Annabeth into small pieces.

"The girl lies. So the Titans lost. Fine! That was part of the plan to wake Gaea! Now the Earth Mother and her giants will destroy the mortal world, and we will totally feast on demigods!" The other Empousai gashed their teeth in a frenzy of excitement. Steve looked over at emily with a worried look, Emily gave him a look back that told him at they would find a way out of this. Annabeth than yelled.

"The demigods have united! You'd better think twice before you attack us. Romans and Greeks will fight you together. You don't stand a chance!" The Empousai backed up nervously, hissing.

"Romani." It was clear that they have experience with the twelfth legion before or any of the roman army, depending of how long they have been down here. That whatever happened that it didn't work out for the Empousai.

"Yeah, you bet Romani." Percy bared his forearm and showed them the brand he'd got at Camp Jupiter – the SPQR mark, with the trident of Neptune. "You mix Greek and Roman, and you know what you get? You get BAM!" Percy stomped his foot and the Empousai scrambled back, one fell off the boulder where she was perched. But the Empousai recovered quickly before closing in around them again. Emily pulled back her two bracelets to allow her own tattoo to be shown.

"He is not the only one down here." She lit her hand on fire just after they saw the tattoo with the glyph and fire, the effect was similar to when Percy showed his tattoo. But they closed in around them just as fast as before. The cheerleader spoke once more.

"Bold talk, for four demigods lost in Tartarus. Lower your sword, Percy Jackson, and I'll kill you quickly. Believe me, there are worse ways to die down here."

"Wait! Aren't empousai the servants of Hecate?" The cheerleader curled her lip.

"So?"

"So Hecate is on our side now. She has a cabin at Camp Half-Blood. Some of her demigod children are my friends. If you fight us, she'll be angry." One of the Empousai growled and spoke to the cheerleader.

"Is this true, Kelli? Has our mistress made peace with Olympus?"

"Shut up, Serephone!'Gods, you're annoying!"

"I will not cross the Dark Lady." Annabeth took that opening.

"You'd all be better following Serephone. She's older and wiser."

"Yes! Follow me!" Kelli, the cheerleader, struck so fast that non elf them didn't have the chance to reacted, thankfully she didn't attack them. Instead Kelli lashed out at Serephone, for a half a second, the two demons were a blur of slashing claws and fangs. Emily hopes that Serephone would win, but it was over and Kelli stood triumphant over a pile of dust, from her claws hunt the tattered remains of the dress that Serephone was wearing. Kellie snapped at her sisters.

"Any more issues? Hecate is the goddess of the Mist! Her ways are mysterious. Who knows which side she truly favours? She is also the goddess of the crossroads, and she expects us to make our own choices. I choose the path that will bring us the most demigod blood! I choose Gaea!" Her friends hissed in approval. Annabeth glanced at Emily, Percy and Steve to show that she was out of ideas and that she done what she could. That she got Kelli to eliminate one of her own, now there was nothing left but to fight them. Of which was something Emily wasn't looking forward to.

'For two years I churned in the void. Do you know how completely annoying it is to be vaporized, Annabeth Chase? Slowly re-forming, fully conscious, in searing pain for months and years as your body regrows, then finally breaking the crust of this hellish place and clawing your way back to daylight? All because some little girl stabbed you in the back?' Kelli's baleful eyes held Annabeth's. "I wonder what happens if a demigod is killed in Tartarus. I doubt it's ever happened before. Let's find out." A few things happened next, first Percy sprang and slashed Riotide in a huge arch. He cut one of the demons but Kelli dodged and charged at Annabeth, however four other Empousai emerged and charged at Steve and Emily. One grabbed Emily's sword hand as she tried to fight, but it was difficult, he other tow Empousai did the smile thing with Percy and Steve. But the Empousai were having a harder time of holding Steve due to the serum that was in him. Annabeth was doing her best of attacking Kelli with only Emily's dagger.

Annabeth was doing well with it, though it was clear that Annabeth wasn't quite as used to the dagger Emily gave to her as Annabeth's own dagger was. When Emily looked at Annabeth that she saw that Annabeth picked up a rock and smacked into her nose when Kelli wasn't paying much attention. Kelli wailed as Annabeth scooped up gravel and flung into the Empousai's eyes. Emily managed to knock one of the Empousai down as Annabeth screamed and fell, Emily panicked. She saw Percy was stumbling in her direction, but the vampire on his back and her teeth into his neck. Emily knows that must be painful, for she heard from Hecate of how much would course through the body when an Empousai sank their teeth into a demigod. The Empousai from behind Emily kicked her so that she fell to the ground, she was standing over Emily ready to bite her. Before the empousai could do such a thing that a shadow fell across them, a deep war cry bellowed from somewhere above echoing across the plains of Tartarus. And a Titan dropped onto the battlefield.

At first Emily thought she was making things up now due to how Tartarus was affecting her. But as the silvery figured dropped out if the sky and stomp Kelli flat that she knew that it was Tartarus affecting her and that he really was there. The Titan was ten feet talk with wild silver Einstein hair, pure silver eyes and muscular arms protruding from a ripped up blue janitor's uniform and in his hands was a massive push broom with a name tag that read Bob. It was Bob, Emily was so happy to see him that she almost cried out in joy she she saw him. When he stomped on Kelli and turned her into a pile of monster dust that Annabeth yelped and tried to crawl away. But he wasn't interested in her,meh turned to the remaining six Empousai. One of the Empousai was foolish enough to attack and it was the one that was holding Emily. She lunged with the speed of a tiger but she never stood a chance, a spearhead jutted from the end of Bon's broom. With a single deadly swipe that he cut her to dust, the other vampires tried to run but Bob here his broom like a boomerang. The broom slice through the other vampires and returned to Bob's hand, the tints grinned with delight and did a victory dance of which made Emily smile.

"SWEEP! Sweep, sweep, sweep!" Hope was returning to Emily as she watched Bob dance, Percy and Steve seem like they couldn't speak. Emily was sure that they couldn't bring themselves to believe what just happened happen. Annabeth looked just as shock as Percy and Steve.

"H-how …?"

"Percy called me! Yes, he did." Annabeth crawled a little further away, her arm was bleeding badly, Emily managed to get up and staggered towards Bob.

"Called you? He – wait. You're Bob? The Bob?" Bob frowned when he noticed Annabeth's wounds.

"Owie." Annaberh flinched as Bob knelt next to her, Emily spoke up.

"It's all, Annabeth he is friendly." Emily knows that Bob would have better healing abilities down here this Emily would. She saw Bob do his healing ability before when she would come down from a mission with Phil and her wounds hadn't fully healed that he wounds heal them. Even though her wound, cuts and scar would heal rather faster. Sure enough when Bob tapped Annabeth's forearm that it mended instantly, Bon chuckled before he bounded over to Percy and Steve healing heir wounds before he healed Emily's wounds of which was mostly a broken ankle and a wound on her shoulder.

"All better! I am Bob, Rachel's and Percy's friend!"

"Uh … yeah. Thanks for the help, Bob. It's really good to see you again."

"Yes! Bob. That's me. Bob, Bob, Bob." Bob shuffled around, obviously he was pleased with his name. "I am helping. I heard my name. Upstairs in Hades, no one rarely calls for Bob unless there's a mess or I need to protect Rachel and Arabella or if they want to chat with Bob." Annabeth gave Percy and the other toe a puzzled looked and Emily spoke up.

"Bon is a janitor in the palace, it took a little while before he become a member of the fusion in a odd way." Ever since Emily reversed to the world she was alive that she switched between her two appearances in the underworld so Bob seen both appearances and knew that she was Rachel, no matter what she looks like at the time.

"Yes. Bob part of Rachel's family. Then I heard my friend call!" Bob beamed. "Percy said, Bob!" Bob grabbed Percy's arm and hoisted him to his feet.

"That's awesome, Seriously. But how did you –" Bon's expression turned serious.

"Oh, time to talk later. We must go before they find you. They are coming. Yes, indeed."

"They?" Emily was sure that there other monsters out there that were coming for them, not matter of which of the four that they would be after.

"Yes. But Bob knows a way. Come on, friends! We will have fun!"

Bucky's pov.

Bucky was standing on the deck of the Argo II, the Argo II was docking at a busy wharf at Venice. Bucky looked at Venice, his thought kept going back to Emily and how she was doing and Arabella and how she was acting. Bucky would be like that, but he knew that he needed to at least try to step up to the hole that was left by Emily and Steve, Phil felt the same way apparently for Phil been doing his best to help him. Jason and Frank were trying to fill in Annabeth's and Percy's places, Bucky was sure that they were having a difficult time with that as well. The four of them were filling big shoes, Percy was the one that tie the eight together while Annabeth was the mani leader of the eight. While Emily was the hope that was need when things looked touch while Steve, Emily, Annabeth and Percy were the ones that were looked to when they needed to stop to do something. As Frank walked up that Hazel spoke.

"What are they?" Bucky was looking at the weird shaggy monsters, that didn't belong there, milling through the crowds. The shaggy monsters were out of place next to a city like Venice, with it's red tiled roofs, metal church domes, stepped towers and sun bleached buildings that were in different colors of valentine candy hearts - red, white, ochre, pink and orange. There were statues of lions that were on top of pedestals, over doorways, even on the porticoes of the largest buildings. Where the streets should have been were green canals etched their way through the neighborhoods. Each one jammed with motorboats, along the docks that the sidewalks were mobbed with tourists. Bucky looked at one of the monsters, each monster was about the size of a cow with a bowed back like a broken down horse.

The creatures have matted grey fur, skinny legs and black cloven hooves, the creatures' heads seem much too heavy for their necks. Their long a tester like snouts drooped to the ground, their overgrown manes completely covered their eyes. One of the creatures lumbered across the pro endure, snuffling mad licking the pavement with it's long tongue. The tourists parted around the creature unconcerned, some even petted it. Bucky wondered of how the mortals could be so calm with those monsters around, than one of the monster's appearance flickered. For a moment the monster or creature turned into an old fat beagle, Bucky almost laughed when he saw that but it changed back into being the creature. Jason grunted.

"The mortals think they're stray dogs."

"Or pets roaming around. My dad shot a film in Venice once. I remember him telling me there were dogs everywhere. Venetians love dogs." Bucky didn't say anything, instead he just looked at the creatures that were move about.

"But what are they? They look like … starving, shaggy cows with sheepdog hair." No one volunteered any information.

"Maybe they're harmless. They're ignoring the mortals."

"Harmless!" Gleeson laughed. Gleeson was wearing his usual gym shorts, sports shirt and coach's whistle. His expression was gruff as ever but he still has one pink rubber band stuck in his hair from the dwarves in Bologna. Bucky was till habit a hard time of how Emily and Lauren got along with Gleeson in the first place. For it was hard to think of how they befriend a war path satyr while the rest of the satyr were more about nature. "Valdez, how many harmless monsters have we met? We should just aim the ballistae and see what happens!'

"Uh, no." Bucky has to agree with Leo on that fact, for there too many monsters to use the ballistae, besides there were tourists here and he didn't want the tourist to get harm when they shoot at the creatures.

"We'll have to walk through them and hope they're peaceful. It's the only way we're going to track down the owner of that book." Leo pulled the leather bound manual from underneath his arm, there was a sticky note on the cover with the address that the spdwarfs gave Leo in Bologna.

"La Casa Nera.,Calle Frezzeria." Than he heard Nico.

"The Black House, Calle Frezzeria is the street." Frank looked like if he might flinched when he realized Nico was at his shoulder, Nico was so quiet and brooding that he seem to dematerialize when he wasn't speaking. At times Emily was so quiet that she sneaks up on her in the last few months to almost two years in November when she found him at her cabin. Bucky wondered if it was a child of Hades thing, he never remember Emily doing at before he fell from the train.

"You speak Italian?" Nico shot Frank a warning look, watch the questions but Nico spoke calmly.

"Frank is right. We have to find that address. The only way to do it is to walk the city. Venice is a maze. We'll have to risk the crowds and those … whatever they are." Thunder rumbled in the clear summer day, they passed through some storms the night before, Bucky remembered being up helping Jason with the venti in that storm last night. Lauren was also there to help, it was a good thing that they have three child of the wind on board, two were half siblings whirl Bucky was a child of a minor wind god. Bucky hoped that the storm passed over but there was a chance that it may not been over with. Bucky frowned at the horizon as Jason spoke.

"Maybe I should stay on board. Lots of venti in that storm last night. If they decide to attack the ship again …" Jason didn't need to finish, out of everyone the best ones that have much luck fighting them was Jason, Lauren and Bucky. Bucky spoke up.

"Lauren and myself may as well as stay here as well." Jason nodded his thanks when Bucky said that, Gleeson spoke up.

"Well, I'm out, too. If you softhearted cupcakes are going to stroll through Venice without even whacking those furry animals on the head, forget it. I don't like boring expeditions."

"It's okay, Coach. We still have to repair the foremast. Then I need your help in the engine room. I've got an idea for a new installation." Bucky had a feeling that Leo was going to try new things out with that sphere of his, Bucky didn't really care about that sphere. All he cared about was getting Steve and Emily back as soon as they can. Piper shifted her feet.

"Well … Whoever goes should be good with animals. I, uh … I'll admit I'm not great with cows."

"I'll go." Leo patted franks on the shoulder and handed him the leather bound book.

"Awesome. If you pass a hardware store, could you get me some two-by-fours and a gallon of tar?"

"Leo, it's not a shopping trip."

"I'll go with Frank." Bucky has a feeling that Frank wasn't comfort ale around Nico, Bucky couldn't blame since Bucky still feels slightly unease were he is around Nico.

"Uh … you're good with animals?" Nico smiled without humor.

"Actually, most animals hate me. They can sense death. But there's something about this city …" Nico's expression turned grim. "Lots of death. Restless spirits. If I go, I may be able to keep them at bay. Besides, as you noticed, I speak Italian." Leo scratched his head.

"Lots of death, huh? Personally, I'm trying to avoid lots of death, but you guys have fun!" Bucky was glad he wasn't going to leave her ship, he already enough to worry about, he need to worry about he monsters, ghosts or anything else that might be waiting for them.

"I'll go, too." Hazel slipped her arm through Frank's. "Three is the best number for a demigod quest, right?" Frank seem relieved, Nico was staring at the canals before he spoke.

"All right, then. Let's go find the owner of that book." While Frank, Hazel and Nico's were away that they fought off some storm spirits, beyond that there wasn't much to do, after a while the three of them came back without the book, when they got onto the Argo II that Bucky noticed that Frank changed, he was taller and didn't have the baby face and looked more like a warrior than a sumo wrestler. They took off as Frank explained to them of what happened and showed the the barley that they took for the one farming god. Once franks finished that Bucky looked over Phil.

"Could you make barely out of thin air?"

"I am not totally sure. I might be able to, I know Emily could at least. But I would be able to grow more from the barley if I have to." Bucky shook his head when Phil said that, if Emily was here than they didn't need to make that stop. After the meeting that Phil went back up deck to spend time with his girlfriend, Aubrey of who is a roman, it was odd to know that two sets of couples on board that were Roman and Greek. Bucky sat down on his bed, he looked up at the ceiling wishing that he was with Emily at the moment.


	25. Chapter 25

Emily's pov

Emily felt better knowing that Bob was here, yes Emily knows of odd and weird that sound, even down here in Tartarus. But what less could she say, she knows that he was here before and there might be a chance he could remember his former life. But who else could they count on at the moment other than each other, all of them know that they needed a guide and someone else to help them. Bob was their only hope in hat respect, they followed Bob through the wasteland tracing the route of the Phlegethon as the approached the storm front of darkness, sometimes they stopped to drink the firewater of which helped kept them alive besides the food that Emily would conjure up. Her only comfort was Steve, not that it would been bad with only Percy and Annabeth, it was just nice knowing that someone she knows well was with her as oppose to a couple she hardly knows. Steve kept her close to him as they walked that Steve spoke softly.

"Are you sure he knows what he is doing."

"Yes, even with his memory loss." Pe milt heard Percy telling Annabeth a similar thing as she told Steve.

"You have interesting friends." Bob turned and grinned.

"Bob is interesting! Yes, thank you!" Annabeth spoke casual and friendly.

'So, Bob … How did you get to Tartarus?'

"I jumped." Emily was surprised when Bob said that, it seems that Annabeth and Steve were surprised as well.

"You jumped into Tartarus, because Percy said your name?"

"He needed me. She also needed me." His silver eyes gleamed in the darkness. When he said the last part that he looked at Emily. "It is okay. I enjoyed my time there, Rachel been good to Bob, Bob felt he repay his debt for Rachel's kindness. Besides Bob needed to do something. Come along! We are almost at a rest stop." Annabeth looked at Emily in surprise as Bob said that but she seem happy knowing that they will have a rest stop down here in Tartarus, Emily was glad to hear about the rest stop as well. Emily knew it was a crazy risk that they taking with following Bob but what what other options do they have. Besides with Emily here that it was unlikely that Bob was going to turn his back on them. They picked their way across the ashen wasteland as red lightning flashed overheard in the poisonous clouds. Just like any other day in this dungeon that they fell into, though Emily was unsure of how long they have been here for. As Emily looked around that could remember reading different descriptions of Tartarus.

One that it was a bottomless pit, she knows that was incorrect description even before falling into this place. If it was the void if where Chaos is, than yes Emily would believe that it is an bottomless pit. Even an endless void would fit the void better than putting it withTartarus, though Emily never been there before. She also heard that it was a fortress surrounded by brass walls. The one that was accurate was it was the opposite of the sky, a huge hollow upside down dome of rock. That there was multiple layers, each one darker and less hospital able than the last, that it not have a real bottom to it. But that was not the full horrible truth of this place, no one could put this place into words, Emily knows she couldn't. She was in Tartarus in person, she was unsure of how to put this place into words as she walked further into Tartarus. They passed a blister in the ground, a writhing, translucent bubble the size of a minivan and curled up inside was a half formed body of a drakon. Bob speared the blister without a second though it burst in a geyser of steaming yellow slime and the drakon dissolved into nothing. Bob just kept walking as if that was nothing new about that, after a while, Bob stopped walking and spoke.

"Here." They stopped at the top of a ridge, below them in a sheltered depression like a moon crater. There in the middle of the moon crater stood a ring of broken black marble columns surrounding a dark stone altar.

"Hermes's shrine." Percy frowned. Emily panicked slightly, if Bob could remember this, what else could he remember, sure there was a chance that Bob could turn on them. But she was more worried about the fact he is remembering his old life than anything else.

"A Hermes shrine in Tartarus?" Bob laughed in delight

"Yes. It fell from somewhere long ago. Maybe mortal world. Maybe Olympus. Anyway, monsters steer clear. Mostly."

"How did you know it was here?" Bon's smile faded and he got a vacant look in his eyes, Emily could tell he was trying to remember but couldn't.

"Can't remember."

"That's okay." They climbed into the crater and entered the circle of columns, Annabeth collapsed on a broken slab of marble. Emily collapsed a little further in as well as Steve. Percy stood over Annabeth protectively and was scanning their surroundings. The inky storm front was less than a hundred away now, it was obscuring everything ahead of them. The crater's rim blocked their view of the wasteland behind, they would be hidden but Emily was worried that if monsters stumbled across them that they would have no warning.

"You said someone was chasing us. Who?" Emily watched as Bob swept his broom around the base of the altar, crouching at times to study the ground as if he was looking for something.

"They are following, yes. They know you are here. Giants and Titans. The defeated ones. They know." Emily panicked, she did help defeat some of the titans and giants, but she was sure that Annabeth and Percy defeated a lot more of the than Emily ever did.

"Why are we stopping, then? We should keep moving."

"Soon. But mortals need rest. Good place here. Best place for … oh, long, long way. I will guard you." Annabeth glanced at Percy, Emily knows that Annabeth felt income table about this so Emily spoke up.

"Annabeth." She looked over at Emily before she went on. "We been here down here long enough to know that this is dangerous and we haven't rested much since we got here. I know you not comfortable with this. But he did save us, if he can do that, he can guard us." Annabeth seem to relax a little but an Percy spoke making Annabeth relax even more.

"You sleep, I'll keep the first watch with Bob."

"Yes, good. When you wake, food should be here!" Emily curled up as well as Steve, as she closed her eyes at she could hear Percy and Annabeth before Annabeth's fell asleep.

"Percy, wake me for second watch. Don't be a hero."

"Who, me? Sleep." At the last word that Emily feel asleep.

Emily knew that demigod dreams were bad, sometimes Emily will have dreams of a demigod's past life or something of the future, maybe, or even of her own past. This dream was that of another demigod's past, one that she didn't want to see at all or even was aware about. She was back at the Hydra Base of where she found Bucky and the howling commandos were working on the plane that Steve crashed much later. It looked they were building rockets, she could see Bucky of who was working on one of them. He looked weak but in better shape than she found him a while later. What looked like the commander or something had started to hit Bucky making Emily winced as she watched. The scene shift, the scene showed of an accident of that same man who best Bucky died in the accident. Emily watched as Bucky seem to be getting worse, it seems that Bucky has pneumonia. She watched as Bucky was taken away by the guards while the howling commandos tried to stop them.

The scene shifted once more, but this time it was the train, she watched as Bucky and Steve went inside the train car. She knew what was going to happen, Bucky and Steve started to fight as three HYDRA soldiers started to attack them. Steve tossed a gun over to Bucky before he pushed one of the containers at the HYDRA soldier, Bucky managed to shot the HYDRA soldier as the soldier moved out of the way of that container. But the soldier that Steve knocked out got up and started to shot, Steve managed to block the fire but he hit the wall of the train and it blasted an opening. Bucky picked up the shield and sat at the solider, but the soldier shot again and it hit the shield again. Bucky dropped the shield for. The force and fell through the hole that was made earlier from the first shot. Steve throw the shield at the soldier before taking off the helmet before climbing out to get to Bucky. As Bucky tried to reach out with only inches form Steve's hand that the handle that Bucky was holding came off. Bucky fell down towards the ravine and water below.

Emily cried out, causing here let to to wake up, she felt someone grasping her and she calmed herself down. She looked at Steve of who was looking at her slightly worried, Emily didn't say anything, instead she hugged Steve tightly. He hugged back, Emily figured that he was concern of what happened or what she was dreaming about. She knew that what she was dreaming about was in the past, but with what she saw bothered her greatly. She saw Bucky get beaten up, being forced to make rockets, caught pneumonia, and fell off the train when they went to capture Zola. Emily was more grateful that her brother was here, instead of just her, Percy, Annabeth and Bob. For she wasn't sure if she could hug them like she was doing with Steve at the moment. The only others she hugged was Lauren, Bucky, Phil and her half siblings on her father's, in other words Hades, side. Suddenly Annabeth cried out and grasped Percy's arms.

"It's okay, Bad dreams?" When Percy said that, that Emily sat up as well as Steve.

"If that is the case she wasn't the only one that has bad dreams. You know I am not sure if I want to sleep down here again." Annabeth looked at her and her look said it all, that Annabeth agreed with that fact.

"Is it – is it my turn to watch?"

"No, no. We're good. I let you sleep."

"Percy!"

"Hey, it's fine. Besides, I was too excited to sleep. Look." Bob was sitting cross legged by the altar, happily munching a piece of pizza. Emily rubbed her eyes, she knew she can conjure food but she was sure that she didn't conjure that pizza.

"Is that … pepperoni?"

"Burnt offerings. Sacrifices to Hermes from the mortal world, I guess. They appeared in a cloud of smoke. We've got half a hot dog, some grapes, a plate of roast beef and a package of peanut M&M's."

"M&M's for Bob! Uh, that okay?" Emily didn't protest as Steve brought over a plate of roast beer, as well as bits of the hot dog and some grapes. Emily and Steve wolfed it down, sure Emily managed to conjure some food but it wasn't enough to stop the hunger that they have. Everything was still hot, not only that but it taste like food from Camp Halfblood. It seems that Percy and Annabeth noticed that as well.

"I know, I think it is from Camp Half-Blood." Emily wondered where the food went to, but she never realized that some of it would come to Tartarus of which was odd to think about.

"Peanut M&M's, Connor Stoll always burned a pack for his dad at dinner." Emily leaned back before closing her eyes and thought of her time at Camp Halfblood and nearly chuckled, she knows that during World War II hat she seem serious if which she was and she needed to be during the missions and other things to do with the war. But when she wasn't on duty that she never gets bored, she wasn't what you call a party goer, she was more of a prankster. Emily and Lauren were like the Stoll twins during their time at Camp Halfblood or like the Weasley twins when the Weasley twins were at Hogwarts. That trait still lives on in her as well as to have when things get dull, it was something that she sort of planted in Arabella. Emily opened her eyes when Percy put his hand on Annabeth's shoulder.

"Hey, this is good. Actual food from home, right?" Annabeth nodded and the finished eating in silence. Emily could feel her strength returning somewhat when she are the food, but she knows she wasn't at her full strength. She was sure that the others felt strengthen but not quite up to their usually selves, expect for Bob since he was here before. Big clomped down the last of his M&M.

"Should go now. They will be here in a few minutes."

"A few minutes?" Annabeth picked up the dagger Emily gave to her before sheath the dagger. Bob scratched his hair.

"Yes … well, I think minutes … Time is hard in Tartarus. Not the same." Percy created to the edge of the crater and peered back the way they came from.

"I don't see anything, but that doesn't mean much. Bob, which giants are we talking about? Which Titans?"

"Not sure of names. Six, maybe seven. I can sense them."

'Six or seven? And can they sense you?'

"Don't know. Bob is different! But they can smell demigods, yes. You two smell very strong. Good strong. Like … hmm. Like buttery bread!"

"Buttery bread; Well, that's great."

"Yeah, well, I didn't need to know that" Percy climbed back to the altar.

"Is it possible to kill a giant in Tartarus? I mean, since we don't have a god to help us?" Percy looked to Annabeth and Emily, Emily wasn't sure if they could or not.

"Percy, I don't know. Travelling in Tartarus, fighting monsters here … it's never been done before. Maybe Bob could help us kill a giant? Maybe a Titan would count as a god? I just don't know." Percy looked at Emily and Emily shook her head.

"I can only repeat of what Annabeth said. The onto ones who can say is Nico and Arabella but they were captured."

"Yeah. Okay." Emily could the worry in Steve's and Percy's eyes, Emily always has a back up plan if something risked with Steve's plan. It was clear Steve was counting on both Annabeth and Emily as well as Percy, but this was something she didn't have an answer for. She never been through Tartarus before, for Tartarus was a dangerous place as well as a prison for monsters and immortals. But she was sure of one thing that they have to keep moving. Bob was cleaning up their mess from when they ate not too long ago.

"Where to now?" Percy pointed at the stormy wall of darkness.

"Bob says that way. Apparently the Doors of Death –"

"You told him?" Emily rolled her eyes when Annabeth said that, sure it sounded like Percy was being dumb but they needed a guide to get to the doors. Annabeth sounded she she spoke and Percy winced.

"While you were asleep, Annabeth, Bob can help. We need a guide." Steve spoke up.

"Percy is right, we will need a guide in order to get to the doors and Bob can help with that."

"Bob helps! Into the Dark Lands. The Doors of Death … hmm, walking straight to them would be bad. Too many monsters gathered there. Even Bob could not sweep that many. They would kill Percy and Annabeth in about two seconds. I think seconds. Time is hard in Tartarus."

"Right. So is there another way?"

"Hiding. The Death Mist could hide you."

"Oh … Uh, what is Death Mist?"

"It is dangerous, But if the lady will give you Death Mist it might hide you. If we can avoid Night. The lady is very close to Night. That is bad." When Bob said night that Emily panicked, she thought the oldest of the oldest were asleep or faded, she didn't know that Night was still around.

"The lady."

"Yes." Bob pointed ahead of them into the inky blackness. "We should go." Emily looked at Percy and Annabeth of who glanced at each other, Emily knows that they have to move forward but she wasn't sure about this death mist that Bob spoke of.

"Okay, then, I guess we'll see a lady about some Death Mist."

"Wait." Emily raised an eyebrow when Annabeth said that, she wondered what Annabeth was thinking as Annabeth looked at her black altar.

"Annabeth?" Annabeth walked to the pile of trash and picked out a clean napkin.

"Bob, offerings burned in the mortal world appear on this altar, right?" Bob frowned uncomfortably.

"Yes?"

"So what happens if I burn something on the altar here?"

"Uh …"

"That's all right, You don't know. Nobody knows, because it's never been done." Emily walked over to Annabeth.

"What are you thinking, Annabeth?"

"Annabeth? You're planning something. You've got that I'm planning something look."

"I don't have an I'm planning something look."

"Yeah, you totally do. Your eyebrows knit and your lips press together and –" Steve spoke at that moment.

"I don't know you well but I know you enough to know that you have that I'm planning something look." Emily looked over at Steve when he said that.

"Like you never got that look before." Steve smiled sheepishly when Emily said that, than Annabeth spoke to Percy.

"Do you have a pen?"

"You're kidding, right?" Percy pulled out riptide, Emily rolled her eyes, as far as she knows that he can't write with the pen. So Emily spoke.

"Like that will work, Percy." Steve looked like he was close of laughing, Emily will have to make this moment on one of her strange or weird moments in her demigod life. Along with running through the labyrinth with two hellhounds, Briares and a three thousand year old man machine. As well as when she ran down into Camp Jupiter on Mrs. O'Leary, Percy on Blackjack, Hazel on Arion, Frank turned into a bird, Ella the harpy and Tyson the cyclops.

"Yes, but can you actually write with it?"

"I – I don't know, Never tried." Percy uncapped the pen, as usual it sprang into a full sized sword.

"What if you touch the cap to the other end of the sword? Like where you'd put the cap if you were actually going to write with the pen."

"Uh …" Percy looked doubtful but he touched the cap to the hilt of the sword. Riptide shrank back into a ballpoint pen, but the writing point was exposed.

"May I?" Annabeth plucked it from his hand, she flattened the napkin against the altar and began to write, the ink glowed Celestial bronze.

"What are you doing?"

"That is what I want to know as well."

"Sending a message, I just hope Rachel gets it."

"Rachel? You mean our Rachel? Oracle of Delphi Rachel?"

"That's the one." Emily smiled lightly, Emily remembers before Rachel become the oracle that she was interested in Percy. Annabeth finished her note, before Annabeth finished it that Emily stepped up and looked at it. Emily than took the pen and wrote a little message to make sure that nothing could happen, hopefully. Than Annabeth folded the napkin before she wrote on the outside of the napkin.

Connor,

Give this to Rachel. Not a prank. Don't be a moron.

Love,

Annabeth

Emily hoped that this works, from reading the letter that small group of Romans haven't given up of trying to kill the Greeks yet. She needed to make sure that they knew better and hopefully what Annabeth told Reyna that the rift would be healed. But that doesn't mean that Emily wouldn't curse that small group of Romans she she find them.

"Now I just need to burn it, Anybody got a match?" The point of Bob's spear shot from his broom handle, it sparked against the altar and erupted in silvery fire. "Uh, thanks." Annabeth lit the napkin and set it on the altar, Emily watched it crumpled to ash, she wondered if the message would make it out of Tartarus. Emily hopes so, she really does.

"We should go now. Really, really go. Before we are killed." Emily looked at the wall of blackness in front of them, somewhere in there was a lady who dispensed a death mist that might hide them from the monsters.

"Right, I'm ready." When they entered the storm front that the others had to rely on the light of the glow of their weapons and Bob. Emily thought she might have needed to rely on that light to but her hades powers were still there and she could see clearly throughout the darkness. Oppose to when she was walking towards of when she couldn't see anything in the storm of darkness. But it seem that Tartarus has some effect on her powers for at times rocks would loom out of nowhere, pits appeared at their feet. Monstrous roars echo in the gloom, it was hard to tell of where the echoes or roars were coming from. But one thing was for sure, that was the fact that the terrain was still sloping down. Down seem to be the only direction allows in Tartarus, a couple of times that Emily tried stepping back. Why she did that, that she felt tired and heavy as if gravity was increasing to discourage from going back. Emily saw it before Annabeth did, apparently Annabeth was deep in thought that she didn't notice the ledge.

"Whoa!" Percy grabbed for her arm but Annabeth was already falling, but she didn't fall to far through. For most of it was filled with a monster blister, Emily looked down and gasp when she saw of who was forming. Annabeth realized this too, for she screamed and flailed before she toppled sideways off of the mound. Percy helped Annabeth to her feet. "You okay?" Emily forced herself not to scream as she looked of who was in the bubble. In front of them was a fully formed Titan in golden armor, his skin was the color of polished pennies but his eyes were closed. He was scowled so deeply that he appears to be on the verge of a bloodcurdling war cry, Emily could feel the heat radiating from his body even through the bubble. It was Steve who spoke.

"Who is that?"

"Hyperion, I hate that guy." Emily remembered what happen during the battle of Manhattan, Percy summoned up his first hurricane. Emily and Thor helped to some degree.

"I thought Grover turned this guy into a maple tree."

"Yeah. Maybe the maple tree died, and he wound up back here?"

"Maybe it's still there. But his essence returned here so he could reform." Emily glanced Bob, Bob was studying Hyperion with a frown of concentration or recognition. Emily wondered if Bob was remembering any more of his former life.

"Bob, we should go."

"Gold, not silver, But he looks like me." Emily walked up to Bob and spoke softly.

"That is is Hyperion, he is one of your kind Bob. You use to know him at one point, but you lost your memories." Bob seem shock but Emily went on. "Out of your kind you were the most gentle before losing your memories. Honestly after you lost your memories that you showed who you are really. You are on of the most caring and kind of your kind as well as the most gentle." Emily looked to Hyperion and spoke once once more. "But he is bad and killed some of my friends and tried to make the world a worse place to live." Emily looked at Bob before going on. "There is justice and injustice. Life has a balance and because of the balance that there are some good and bad." Emily stepped back, knowing that he would need to go soon.

"Do you know what my old life is like than?"

"I heard about it, but honestly if it was my memories I would want to forget. I believe that Tartarus is helping your memories. You will have a choice, a crossroad to choose. I believe you have come to such a crossroad now, Bob. I am no Hecate, but form what I can see that you can leave him alone or kill him before he wakes up." Bob's broom spear swept into motion, Bob slashed through the monstrous blister of which burst in a geyser of hot golden mud. Emily wiped the Titan sludge out of her eyes where Hyperion was that there was nothing but a smoking crater.

"Hyperion is a bad Titan. Now he can't hurt my friends. He will have to re-form somewhere else in Tartarus. Hopefully it will take a long time." Bob looked at Emily, his expression was grim when he spoke. "Emily is good friend, be nice to Bob for all this time." The titan's eyes seem brighter than usual, Emily smiled when Bob said that. She wasn't manipulate him or anything, she was telling Bob the basic truth of what was happening and give him the choice. She hoped that she was right in thinks that he would kill Hyperion so he would reform elsewhere.

"Thank you, Bob. You are a good friend as well." Bob smiled when Emily said that. Than Percy spoke.

"We'd better keep going." Steve, Emily, Annabeth and Percy followed Bob further into Tartarus. Tartarus kept affecting them as they walked along, her legs were numb, Steve kept holding her hand and squeezed as they walked along in Tartarus. Percy would take Annabeth's hand or made an encouraging comment, Emily could tell that Tartarus was getting to the other three. Voice kept entering her mind telling her that Steve fell into Tartarus to be with her to help and protect her and that if he dies that it would be her fault. She felt bad about that, but she refused to let the voices get to her. But it seems the voices were getting to Annabeth.

"Stop it." Emily looked at Annabeth, when she said that.

"What?"

"No, not you. Talking to myself. This place … it's messing with my mind. Giving me dark thoughts." The worry lines deepened around Percy's sea green eyes.

"Hey, Bob, where exactly are we heading?"

"The lady. Death Mist."

"But what does that mean? Who is this lady?"

"Naming her? Not a good idea."

"Of which is very true, if we used names that some of this monsters might come after us hearing the name. It would be worse saying the names here, considering where we re."

"Can you at least tell us how far?"

"I do not know, I can only feel it. We wait for the darkness to get darker. Then we go sideways."

"Sideways. Naturally." Emily wanted to leave, the black was making her feel ill and it felt like that the Blake fog was seeping into her body turning her bones into moist styrofoam. Emily hoped the message gets through to Rachel, there was a chance that Rachel might be killed but that is unlikely for the Romans were aware about Oracles and that they can't kill one. Suddenly Bob stopped and risked his hand in a wait motion.

"What?"

"Shh. Ahead. Something moves." Emily strained her ears, she could hear it now, there was a deep thrumming noise like the idling engine of a large construction vehicle. Emily could feel the vibrations through her shoes.

"We will surround it. Each of you, take a flank." Emily and Steve have their swords in their hands, Percy and Annabeth have their weapons out. Emily and Steve crept to the left while Percy and Annabeth went to the right, Bob took the middle, his spearhead was glowing in the fog. The humming got louder, shaking the gravel at Emily's feet, the noise seem to come from in front of them.

"Ready?" Emily crouched, preparing to attack. "On three?"

"One, Two –" a figure appeared in the fog and Bob raised his spear, Emily realized something was off about the figure, before she could say anything that Annabeth shrieked.

"Wait!" Bob froze in time, the point of his spear was hovering an inch above the head of a tint calico kitten.

"Rrow?" The kitten seem clearly unimpressed by their attack plan, it butted it's head against Bob's foot and purred loudly. It seems impossible that kitten was making that sound but if it wasn't for the fact she was seeing and hearing it. The kitten fixed it's yell lamp like eyes on one particular rock between Emily's feet before pouncing at it. Emily let go of her sword and it went back to being a poppy. Emily bent down and picked it up, she knows it could be a demon or something worse, but the kitten seem harmless. Emily started to cuddled with it, the little thing was bony under it's fur but otherwise it seems normal.

"How did …? What is a kitten doing …?" The cat grew impatient and squirmed out of her arms, the kitten landed with a thump enforce padded over to Bob. The kitten started purring again as the rubbed against his boots. Emily couldn't help but smile at the scene, Steve was also smiling as well, Percy laughed.

"Somebody likes you, Bob." Bob looked up nervously.

"It must be a good monster. Isn't it?" Emily wondered of what other things that Tartarus shallowed up into this pit. Bob knelt down and scooped up the cat, the kitten fitted perfectly in Bob's palm. The kitten climbed up Bob's arm and made a home on his shoulder purring like an earthmover. Suddenly it's fur shimmered, in a flash the kitten became a ghostly skeleton, like if it stepped behind an x-Ray machine. Than it was a regular kitten again. Emily blinked when that happened.

"Did you see –?"

"Yeah. Oh, man … I know that kitten. It's one of the ones from the Smithsonian." Emily remembered hearing that from Arabella when she was on that quest to save Artemis. That by mistake that he raised a batch of skeleton kittens.

"That's one of them? How did it get here?" Percy spread his hands helplessly.

"Atlas told his servants to take the kittens away. Maybe they destroyed the cats and they were reborn in Tartarus? I don't know."

"It's cute." Bob said that as the kitten sniffed his ear.

"But is it safe?" Bob scratched the kitten's chin, it was clear that the Titan and the cat bonded with each other.

"Well, I think it is safe. The cat didn't attack us now did it."

"I will call him Small Bob. He is a good monster." That was the end of the discussion, before the could move on that another kitten emerged from the darkness, it was similar to the first kitten. It purred like an earthmover before it bounded over to Emily and nuzzled against her boots. Emily picked up the kitten and it climbed up on her shoulders and made it's home on her shoulder. Emily petted and spoke softly to the kitten.

"Are you female?" The kitten purred, when Emily said that. "I will call you Sarah." The kitten purred when Emily said that. Bob hefted his spear and they went on marching into the gloom. Small Bob kept pacing across Bob's shoulders and purring, at times he turned into a glowing kitty skeleton. Sarah's remained on Emily's one shoulder, but she would sometimes turn into a glowing kitty skeleton before turning back into a calico fuzz ball like Small Bob.

"Here." Bob stopped so suddenly that Emily almost ran into him, Bob was staring to their left as though he was deep in thought.

"Is this the place? Where we go sideways?"

"Yes! Darker, then sideways." Emily wasn't sure if it was darker or not, but the air did seem colder and thicker down here as though they entered San Francisco. She been there enough to know one neighborhood was ten degrees below another neighbor. Bob struck off to the left, Emily, Percy, Annabeth and Steve followed. The air was getting colder, Emily moved closer to Steve of who put his arms around her to protect her from the cold. They entered some sort of forest, towering black trees soared into the gloom, perfectly round and bare of branches, the ground was smooth and pale. Emily didn't know what know of what part of Tartarus they might be in now, she refused to think about that. Suddenly Emily's senses were on high alert, Emily put her had on the trunk and a nearby tree. Steve raised his sword as well as Percy and it was Steve who spoke.

"What is it?" Bob turned and looked back confused as well as Annabeth.

"We are stopping?" Emily held her hand up for silence, something was off, than she realized that the trees were quivering. She knew it wasn't either one of the kittens since they were asleep. A few yards away another tree shuddered, Emily pulled her hand away as Annabeth whispered.

"Something's moving above us. Gather up." Bob, Percy, Annabeth and Steve closed ranks with her, each were holding their own weapons. Emily tried to look up to see what was moving, even with her night vision she couldn't see anything. Than the first monster dropped to the ground only five feet away. The creature looked like a fury but Emily knows that the creature wasn't a fury. The creature was a wrinkled hat with bat like wings, bras talons and glowing red eyes, she wore a tattered dress of black silk. Her face was twisted and ravenous, like a demonic grandmother in the mood to kill something or someone. Bob grunted as another dropped in front of him, another dropped in front of each of them, soon there was half a dozen surrounding them. More were hissing from in the trees above them, Emily looked at the demon creatures, she has no idea of what they were. But their talons looked dangerous though and Annabeth spoke.

"What are you?" A voice hissed.

'The arai, The curses!' Emily tried to look for the speaker but none of them spoke or moved their mouths. Emily tried to think fast, she never heard of the Arai before, she has the knowledge of the underworld in her, but that doesn't include Tartarus. The voice seem to be floated over heard like a movie's narrator's would be.

"What – what do you want?" He voice cackled maliciously.

'To curse you, of course! To destroy you a thousand times in the name of Mother Night!'

"Only a thousand times? Oh, good … I thought we were in trouble." The circle of the demon ladies closed in.

Bucky's pov

It been two days since leaving Venice, Bucky was getting more and more worried, if Bucky been like he is now since the way and was in Emily's position, he wasn't sure if he could handle it. He wondered of how how Emily,didn't lose it knowing that her three closest friends were alive but lost that they could die at any time, the only difference between himself and Emily that he doesn't know when Emily would die if she does. It was a depressing thought to think Emily was dead, he wanted to hear news of Emily and to know if she was alive. It was after breakfast, he was standing at the railing, Hazel was not to far away with that weasel or whatever it was and it was passing gas. Bucky thought it was the strangest thing ever to see a weasel passing gas and he wondered why it was here in the first place. Bucky looked away and looked at the white cliffs in the distance.

The past few nights that Bucky kept having nightmares and they were getting worse, some of it was his past, some of it was Emily's past that much he was sure. One of the dreams of where he watched search the area of where he fell trying to find him or a trace of him but she found none. That was painfully to watch as she circle and screamed his name before falling into the snow crying her heart out at the loss of Bucky as well as going to different places that she was at with Bucky, Steve and Lauren looking for clues of where they were. It pained him to see those memories, but there few happy dreams he see, mostly of when Emily was at camp Halfblood of who she play around Camp Halfblood, train and pulling pranks. There were also the memories of when she was helping with raising Arabella as well as seeing the memories of when she helped Phil to triangle as a demigod. Bucky was glad that after a while that she found some siblings to love and care for, but he could always see the trace of sadness in her eyes in every one of those dreams. The traces of sadness that only seen when he saw her in the Helicarrier and after she found him in the clearing. Now he heard Frank spoke.

"Feeling any better?" Bucky was nearly jumped for he was surprised to see Frank standing next to Hazel, when Frank got back that he changed, he wasn't sure of what happened to Frank but he was taller and didn't look like a sumo wrestler any more. It pained him slightly to watch Hazel and Frank, for it reminded him too much of Emily.

"I'm – I'm all right, You?"

"I'm, uh, taller. Otherwise, yeah. I'm good. I haven't really, you know, changed inside …" Even though his looks changed, Frank hadn't changed on the inside at all, it reminded him of when he saw Steve after the serum. He was shocked at the change but in the inside Steve was still the same, expect for he seem to got more attention form girls.

"I know, and I'm glad. It's … it's actually not you I'm worried about."

"How's Nico and Arabella doing?" Bucky followed frank's gaze, Nico was on top of the foremast as usual, that was the odd thing he found about Arabella and Nico. They both liked being alone, that Nico seem to like it up on the foremast, Bucky figured that was because he wanted to be alone. Arabella stayed in Hazel's room, of where she could be alone as well, Bucky figured that was part of the reason of that was how Emily managed to live through what she has because she likes to be left alone. However she never seem to be like to left alone, but she wasn't the kind to be in the center of everything either, that was long as she was with her friends that she was fine. Ever since Nico was turned into a corn plant in Venice, or that was Bucky was told, that Nico's was more reclusive and morose, the same went for Arabella. Bucky was worried about the two of them, he wanted to talked to them but he has no idea how. Emily was usually the one that talks to them, for she knows them all too well, unlike with Bucky.

"I don't know. They been through a lot. Getting captured in Tartarus, being held prisoners in that bronze jar, watching Percy and Annabeth fall …"

"And promising to lead us to Epirus. I get the feeling Nico and Arabella doesn't play well with others." Bucky almost laughed as Frank stood straight, since the change that his clothes were too small on him. He brought the clothing the day before his change, Bucky was almost sure if Lauren or Emily were up here that they would make a funny comment when Frank stretched.

"Nico and Arabella are among my only relatives, He's not easy to like, but … thanks for being kind to him."

"Hey, you put up with my grandmother in Vancouver. Talk about not easy to like."

"I loved your grandmother!" The weasel scampered up to the two, tarted before running away.

"Ugh. Why is that thing here, anyway?"

"Hecate sent Gale to observe."

"Observe what?"

"I don't know. Some kind of test." Suddenly the boat lurched. Bucky tumbled to the floor when the ship lurched, Bucky heard Festus creaking in alarm and shooting fire. Bucky got up from where he fell and he caught himself when the ship rocked to port with a massive of commotion like telephone pols were snapping in half. Than he heard Leo yells from behind him.

"Gahh! It's eating the oars!" Bucky went over to where Leo was, as he did so that he jumped over Frank and Hazel with his sword out as well as Jason. Piper was already on the quarterdeck shooting food from the cornucopia, the one Emily gave to till they left Rome, and she was yelling.

"Hey! HEY! Eat this, ya stupid turtle!" When Bucky reached where Piper was that he was surprised to see a giant turtle eating the oars of the ship. Bucky thought Piper was going nuts when she yelled out turtle but she wasn't though, Bucky wondered what that turtle was. Frank joined them quickly and started shooting arrows at the turtle. Leo was at the ship's controls as they tried to fight off the turtle.

"Oars won't retract. Get it away! Get it away!" Than Nico was yelling from the rigging.

"Styx – it's huge! Port! Go port!" Arabella and Gleeson were the last ones on deck, Arabella looked like she might throw up but Gleeson was the opposite of that. He seem to compensated being among the last with enthusiasm, he bounded up the steps waving his baseball bat around without hesitation he goat galloped to the stern and leaped over the rail with a gleeful ha. Leo was still yelling as the boar shuddered and oars snapped.

"No, no, no! Dang slimy-shelled son of a mother!" Bucky tried to find a way to fight the turtle, the turtle was as huge as an island, the shell of the turtle was black and brown squares so that it could pass off as an island when the head was underwater. The shell has hills of bone, shiny pearl valleys, kelp and moss forests, and rivers of seawater trickling down the grooves of it's carapace. At the moment, it's head was underwater and than it's head rose up so that he could see it's head for the first time. It's eyes were gold and were the size of wading pools with dark sideways slits for pupils, the turtle's skin glistened like wet army camouflage, brown flecked with green and yellow, it's red toothless mouth could have swallowed the Athena Parthenous in one bite. The turtle snapped off half a dozen oars. "Stop that!" Gleeson clambered around the turtle's shell, whackin at it uselessly with his baseball bat and was yelling at it.

"Take that! And that!" Bucky noticed out of the corner of his eye that Aubrey and Phil was standing next to Frank shooting arrows at the turtle as well. Not only that but some some of the kelp and moss started to grow and were trying to grow around the turtle. He knew that the moss and kelp growing were due to Phil, Jason and Lauren flew from the stern and they landed on the creature's head. Lauren tries to stabbed her sword on top of the head whirl Jason tried to stab between it's eyes. However the blades slipped sideways as if the turtle's skin was greased steel, Bucky got onto the risk and he put the sword into his metal arm before he lit his one hand up and started to shot fireballs off the turtle but they bounced off. Frank and Aubrey were shooting at the monster's eyes but meet with no success. Piper was shooting cantaloupes into the water yelling fetch to the turtle, but it seems to be fixated on eating the Argo II. Jennifer was close to Bucky but she was just staring at the turtle, honestly, he wasn't sure of how much help Jennifer could be in this fight. It wasn't till Hazel spoke that he realized she joined them by she wasn't fighting, she wasn't the only one since Arabella wasn't fighting either.

"How did it get so close?" Bucky throw another fireball at the turtle and spoke as he did so.

"I would like to know that as well." Leo threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Must be that shell. Guess it's invisible to sonar. It's a freaking stealth turtle!"

"Can the ship fly?" Leo punched some of the buttons and spun his Archimedes sphere,

"With half our oars broken off? I'll have to try something else." Nico yelled from above in the foremast.

"There! Can you get us to those straits?" Bucky throw another fireball at the turtle before he looked to where Nico was pointing. About a half mile to the was was a long strip of land that ran parallel to the coastal cliffs. It was hard to be sure from his distance, but the stretch of water between them looked to be only twenty or thirty yards across. It loos wide enough for the Argo II to slip through but here was no way that it was not wide enough for the giant turtle's shell.

"Yeah. Yeah." Leo turned the Archimedes sphere. "Lauren, Jason, get away from that thing's head! I have an idea!" Lauren and Jason were still hacking away at the turtle's face but when he heard Leo say that he has an idea that they made the only smart choice. Of which was flew away as fast as possible. Lauren called over to Gleeson, of who was still using his baseball bat to best the turtle up or trying to at any rate.

"Coach, come on!"

"No, I got this!" Lauren grabbed him around the waist and took off, thankfully Lauren's sword turned back into her necklace and was around her neck. But Gleeson was struggling against Lauren as she flew back towards the ship.

"Gleeson!"

"What? I was softening him up!" The turtle head butted the hull, of which almost tossed the whole crew off the port side. Bucky heard a cracking noise, as he fell off the risking and into the deck, like the keel was splintered. Leo's hands were flying over the console.

"Just another minute." Frank and Aubrey fires their last arrow and it was Frank who spoke.

"We might not be here in another minute!" Piper yelled at the turtle.

"Go away!" For a moment it actually worked, the turtle turned from the ship before it dipped it's head underwater. Bucky sighed with a relief but it was short lived, for it came right back and rammed them even harder. Jason, Lauren and Gleeson landed on the deck.

"You all right?"

"Fine."

"Fire in the shell!" Leo was spinning his Wii controller. Bucky thought the stern exploded for a minute for jets of fire blasted out behind them washing over the turtle's had. The ship shot forwards and it almost threw Bucky to the deck, but it threw Hazel to the deck again though. Bucky helped Hazel up, when she was on her feet that he saw that the ship was bouncing over the waves at an incredible speed. Bucky saw the turtle and realized he should been aiming at the head of the turtle instead of the shell like he was doing earlier. For the turtle's head was charred and smoking form the blast of fire for the Argo II, the turtle bellowed in frustration. Than the turtle started after them,Mitzi's paddle feet scooping through the water with such power that it actually started to gain on them. The entrance to the straits was still a quarter mile ahead, Bucky wished that Percy was here to task to that turtle.

"A distraction. We'll never make it unless we get a distraction."

"A distraction." Bucky looked at Hazel she repeated what Leo said. Suddenly there was a flash of light and steam, it streaked across the surface of the Adriatic. In a heartbeat, Arion stood on the quarterdeck. Hazel climbed up on Arion's back before looking at Piper.

"Piper, I could use that charmspeak of yours." Piper accepted a hand up.

"Once upon a time, I liked turtles, Not any more!" Hazel spurred Arion and he leaped over the side of the Argo II, hitting the water at a full gallop. Bucky watched as Hazel and Piper fight the turtle with only a sword, charmspeak, and a horse. As soon as the Argo II passed into the straits that they broke off their harassment and sped after the ship. A moment later that they were back on deck. The rocker fire was extinguished, through the smoking bronze exhaust vents were still jutted from the stern. The Argo II was limping forward under sail but Halle's plan paid off. They were safely harboured in the narrow waters with a long rocky island to the starboard and the sheer white cliffs of the mainland to port. The turtle stopped at the entrance to the straits and glared at them but it made no attempt to followed them, mostly because of it's shell. Bucky was rather glad that the plan Hazel came up with worked. When Hazel dismounted that she got a big hug from Frank.

"Nice work out there!"

"Thanks." Piper slid down next to Hazel.

"Leo, since when do we have jet propulsion?" Leo tried to look modest but he was failing badly. Bucky rolled his eyes, ever since Leo got that sphere that he been added things to the ship and hasn't stopped added things since.

"Aw, you know … Just a little something I whipped up in my spare time. Wish I could've given you more than a few seconds of burn, but at least it got us out of there."

"And roasted the turtle's head. So what now?"

"Kill it! You even have to ask? We got enough distance. We got ballistae. Lock and load, demigods!" Bucky spoke up.

"First off, I don't think the ballistae will do any good. That shell is like Nemean Lion skin. It seems the head is not much softer." Bucky remembered what Emily told him about how hard the skin of the Nemean Lion was, thinking of it,meh wondered if Emily could talk to a lion.

"So we chuck one right down its throat, like you guys did with that shrimp monster thing in the Atlantic. Light it up from the inside." Frank was scratching his head.

"Might work. But then you've got a five-million-kilo turtle carcass blocking the entrance to the straits. If we can't fly with the oars broken, how do we get the ship out?"

"You wait and fix the oars! Or just sail in the other direction, you big galoot." Frank looked confused.

"What's a galoot?" Bucky spoke.

"A clumsy person." Everyone looked at Bucky when he said that. "True I was out of touch with most things but I still spoke English and picked up words since my memories of my old life came back." Than Nico called down from the mast.

"Guys! About sailing in the other direction? I don't think that's going to work." Nico pointed past the prow. A quarter mile ahead of them that the rocky strip of land curved in and met the cliffs, the channel ended in a narrow V.

"We're not in a strait. We're in a dead end." Bucky knew at once this has to be a trap, he fought enough in the one demigod war as well as in World War II to know a trap when he sees one. It seem Hazel realized the same thing.

"This is a trap." The others looked at Hazel when she said that but the others didn't seem to think the same thing.

"Nah, it's fine. Worst that happens, we make repairs. Might take overnight, but I can get the ship flying again." Bucky spoke up.

"I agree with Hazel, that this is a trap." Piper was about ready to say something but the turtle roared, making it plain that he wasn't leaving any time soon. As soon as Bucky said that, an arrow sank into the mainmast, six inches from her face. Everyone scattered for cover, expect for Piper of who stood frozen in place, she was gaping at the arrow that almost pierced her nose the hardy way. Bucky was surprised by the arrow, he expected something when he realized that this was a trap but he didn't expect the arrow at all, no one else did either. Jason whispered harshly at Piper.

"Piper, duck!" No other missiles came down, Bucky looked at the angle of the boot in he mast before he looked up towards the top of the cliffs. He saw a tiny single figure on top of the ledge, his bronze was glinting the light of the sun. Frank noticed the figure as well.

"Up there, Single shooter. See him?"

"Who the heck is he? Why is he firing at us?" Piper spoke up and her voice was thin and watery.

"Guys? There's a note." Bucky was surprised to see the parchment scroll tied to the arrow shaft. Hazel stormed over to the arrow and untied the scroll form the arrow.

"Uh, Hazel? You sure that's safe?" Hazel read the first line of the note.

"First line: Stand and deliver."

"What does that mean? We are standing. Well, crouching, anyway. And if that guy is expecting a pizza delivery, forget it!"

"There's more. 'This is a robbery. Send two of your party to the top of the cliff with all your valuables. No more than two. Leave the magic horse. No flying. No tricks. Just climb.'"

"Climb what?" Nico pointed towards the cliffs.

"There." Bucky looked to where Nico was pointing, there was a narrow set of steps that was carved into the cliff, leading to the top. Bucky has a feeling that this was not the first time that the person who write the letter ambushed a ship here with the cliffs and turtle. Hazel than finished read in the note.

"'I do mean all your valuables. Otherwise my turtle and I will destroy you. You have five minutes.'" Gleeson cried out.

"Use the catapults!" Apparently the letter wasn't done for Hazel went on reading it.

"'P.S. don't even think about using your catapults.'"

"Curse it! This guy is good."

"Is the note signed?" Bucky was not thrilled about this,here they were trapped while was in Tartarus waiting for him to get to her. Bucky looked at the tiny figure on the cliff as Leo spoke.

"That's not a good trajectory. Even if I could arm the catapult before that guy pincushioned us with arrows, I don't think I could make the shot. That's hundreds of feet, almost straight up."

"Yeah. My bow is useless too. He's got a huge advantage, being above us like that. I couldn't reach him." Piper nudged the arrow that was stuck in the mast.

'And, um … I have a feeling he's a good shot. I don't think he meant to hit me. But if he did …' Piper didn't need to finish that, it was clear that this robber could hit targets with ease hundreds of feet away and he could shoot them all before they react. Hazel than spoke up.

"I'll go." Everyone looked at Hazel when she said that, Frank gripped his bow.

"Hazel –"

"No, listen, this robber wants valuables. I can go up there, summon gold, jewels, whatever he wants." Leo raised an eyebrow.

"If we pay him off, you think he'll actually let us go?"

"We don't have much choice. Between that guy and the turtle …" Jason raised his hand and everyone fell silent.

"I'll go too. The letter says two people. I'll take Hazel up there and watch her back. Besides, I don't like the look of those steps. If Hazel falls … well, I can use the winds to keep us both from coming down the hard way." Arion whinnied in protest.

"I have to, Arion, Jason … yes. I think you're right. It's the best plan." Bucky could tell that Hazel didn't think too highly of Jason because what happened around Nico and Arabella. Sure Jason was being careful but even Bucky knows that they have to take risk, but if they didn't save Arabella and Nico than they may never learned about the doors of death of which is important to this quest to close those doors. Bucky stood up and spoke.

"Actually, let me go instead of you, Jason." Jason looked over at Bucky in surprise. Besides the fact Hazel felt uncomfortable around Jason after he tried to write off Nico and Arabella as traitors that Bucky felt he has to look out for Emily's half sis kings as much as he could.

"Why?"

"I have the same powers as you do over you, not only that but this is summer and my wind powers were be stronger now than any other time of the year. So I can use the winds to keep us from coming down the hard way as well. Besides I also have fire of which may help if it leads to a fight, I also have some training that not very many other demigods, that is if any other demigod has them." Before Jason could say anything that Hazel spoke up.

"Thanks, Bucky. Now, if there are no other objections, we have a robber to meet." When they got to the cliffs that Bucky and Hazel started climbing up the steps, Bucky walked behind Hazel as they walked. The steps were hard to climb, more for him than hey were for Hazel, since Bucky was bigger than Hazel was. Bucky noticed that the weasel was on her shoulder, he still wonder about that weasel and why it was here. During the climbing that Hazel looked to her right and her foot almost slipped, it send a spray of gravel over the edge.

"You all right?"

"Yes. Fine." They went on slaking, after a couple of minutes that Hazel spoke up. "I am surprised that you even decided to come up after Jason volunteered to come with me. I don't think anyone ever did that to him before."

"Well, I could tell you were uncomfortable with coming up Jason after basically saying that Nico and Arabella was bait for a trap but he also question if Nico was loyal to the demigods. I know they are loyal to the demigods. I am sure Jason heard some things about Nico form Percy, but I know Nico's full history for Emily told me. I can understood Nico's reasoning behind those actions for he had no memories to his mother had he wanted to know who his mother was, just like any other kid would want to know their parents. It is true it was a trap, but if we didn't have much of choice, we need to know how to close the doors and get there. Arabella and Nico are the only ones that can do it."

"You know you seem more accepting of my siblings than everyone else expect for Lauren, Phil, Aubrey and Steve."

"That is because I am married to one of your siblings and the other four know Emily well enough to know that she considers you four as part of her family. We all know how important family is to Emily, even before she was adopted by that one family and Hades that family was important to her." Hazel stopped for a moment when he said that.

"You mean that she was adopted by another family at birth?"

"No, after her real father died shortly after she turned six and I knew her a year by that point. It was ten months later that she was adopted by a couple of who wanted a daughter but already has too many children. I am not sure what happened after that, but I know in time she found camp Halfblood than she joined project demigod, than she she twitch Steve to come get me, than I joined the howling commandos and I am sure you can figure out the rest from here. That would be hard not to." They resume their climb without saying another would to each other, a few times Bucky glanced up, but he couldn't see the thief from here. He knows that thief was waiting for them up there, the weasel jumped off hazel's shoulder before scampering ahead and the weasel looked back at Hazel and barked.

"Going as fast as I can." Bucky remembers what Hecate told Hazel and hoped that Hazel managed to control the mist but he has to know if she managed it yet.

"This, uh, controlling the Mist. Have you had any luck?"

"No." Bucky wondered if there has to be a certain thing that could sent off the mist or there has to a certain emotion to use. Bucky was sure that Hazel would be able to figure it out.

"You'll get it." Even though Bucky couldn't see her face, he could tell that seem to surprise Hazel.

"How can you be sure?"

"Just am. Hecate wouldn't have picked you if she didn't believe you had power. Besides I watched you in action as well as on this quest, if anyone can use the mist, it is you." Bucky wasn't sure what was but he knows hazel would be able to use the mist and magic, but not in the way Arabella could, well he wasn't sure if Arabella could use the mist or not. Soon they reached the top p, breathless and sweaty, a long sloping valley marched inland dotted with scraggly olive trees and limestone boulders but there was no signs of civilization. Bucky's legs felt like they were trembling from the climb, the weasel seem anxious to explore. The weasel barks and farted before scampered into the nearest bushes, far below, the Agro II looked like a toy boat in he channel. Bucky wondered of how anyone could shot an arrow accurately from this high up with the wind and glare of the sun from the water. At the mouth of the inlet that there was the massive shape of the turtle's shell glinting like a burnished coin. Bucky looked around before he spoke.

"Where –"

"Here!" Bucky nearly jumped and fell, only ten feet away that a man appeared with a bow and quiver over his shoulder and toe old fashion flintlock dueling pistols in his hands. He was wearing high leather boots, leather breeches, and a pirate style shirt, the man looked like he stepped out of a pirate movie into the real world from behind a curtain that Bucky couldn't see. His hair was curly and black, it also looked like what a kid would do to his hair at the age of five. His eyes were a sparkly green color and the eyes seem friendly enough but a red bandanna covered the lower half of his face. The man looked like if he might between the age of twenty to twenty four, so about Emily's and Bucky's age, however Bucky has a feeling that this man was dangerous. The bandit pointed his guns at them and cried.

"Welcome!mYour money or your life!"

"Who are you?"

"Sciron, of course!" When he said that, that Bucky knew who this man was and he couldn't believe it. It was one of the stories that Emily told him in he last year and half or so, Sciron was a robber that has a giant pet turtle and was a son of Poseidon.

"Sciron as in the son of Poseidon?" Hazel and Sciron looked at Bucky in a bit of surprise. Though Sciron seem to recover first.

"Yes, I am! Thief extraordinaire! All-around awesome guy! But that's not important. I'm not seeing any valuables!mI guess that means you want to die?"

"Wait. We've got valuables. But, if we give them up, how can we be sure you'll let us go?"

"Oh, they always ask that, I promise you, on the River Styx, that as soon as you surrender what I want, I will not shoot you. I will send you right back down that cliff." Hazel gave Bucky a wary look, Bucky couldn't help but agree with her but he wanted to know something, more like he has to know.

"What if we fought you?mYou can't attack us and hold our ship hostage at the same –" There was two shots, Bucky barely managed to move just in time as a bullet went past his head. One of the flintlocks was pointed at his face, whisk the other was pointed down towards the Argo II. He knew that the other bullet hit the Argo II, but where it hit, Bucky wasn't sure, Sciron looked slightly impressed with Bucky.

"You have fast reflexes, bravo! I could use someone like you."

"Not interested." Sciron merely shrugged.

"I am not to worried or bothered about taking a second person at the moment anyway, but if you want to learn to be a robber just call me." However Hazel seem to catch with what happen for she seem to choke before she spoke.

"What did you do?" Sciron laughed when Hazel said that.

"Oh, don't worry! If you could see that far – which you can't – you'd see a hole in the deck between the shoes of the big young man, the one with the bow."

"Frank!" Sciron shrugged.

"If you say so. That was just a demonstration. I'm afraid it could have been much more serious." Sciron spun his flintlocks, the hammers reset, Bucky has a feeling that the guns just magically reloaded. Scion looked back at Bucky before he spoke.

"So! To answer your question – yes, I can attack you and hold your ship hostage at the same time. Celestial bronze ammunition. Quite deadly to demigods. You two would die first – bang, bang. Then I could take my time picking off your friends on that ship. Target practice is so much more fun with live targets running around screaming!" Bucky saw the Children of Apollo practice with their bows as well as Frank, the children of Apollo were the best shots as well as Frank. But Sciron seem inhumanly good, than a thought hit him, that he was just as good of a shot as Sciron was with the blessing of Apollo upon him. The hunters have a similar blessing form Artemis that he has from Apollo, the howling commandos were almost of a good shot as Apollo and Artemis were, the same can be said for the Bucky was on Sciron's level but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to make his bow and arrows appear at the moment.

"You're a son of Poseidon? I would've thought Apollo, the way you shoot." The smile deepened around Sciron's eyes.

"Why, thank you! It's just from practice, though. The giant turtle – that's due to my parentage. You can't go around taming giant turtles without being a son of Poseidon! I could overwhelm your ship with a tidal wave, of course, but it's terribly difficult work. Not nearly as fun as ambushing and shooting people." Bucky wasn't sure what to do or say but Hazel seem to though.

"Uh … what's the bandanna for?"

"So no one recognizes me!" Bucky than spoke up.

"But you introduced yourself, You're Sciron." Sciron's eyes widened.

"How did you – Oh. Yes, I suppose I did." Sciron lowered one flintlock before he scratched the side of his head with the other flintlock. Bucky was close of laughing as he watched Sciron. "Terribly sloppy of me. Sorry. I'm afraid I'm a little rusty. Back from the dead and all that. Let me try again." He leveled his pistols.

"Stand and deliver! I am an anonymous bandit and you do not need to know my name!" Ever since Bucky knew his name that Bucky tried to think of the rest of the story but he couldn't remember it till Sciron said that, it seem that story clicked in Hazel's memory.

"Theseus. He killed you once." Sciron's shoulders slumped.

"Now, why did you have to mention him? We were getting along so well!"

"Hazel, you remember this guy's story right?" Aphazlr looked at him a but surprised before she nodded.

"Theseus met him on the road to Athens. Sciron would kill his victims by, um …" Bucky rolled his eyes when Hazel stopped, before he could finish for her that Sciron spoke up.

"Theseus was such a cheater! I don't want to talk about him. I'm back from the dead now. Gaea promised me I could stay on the coastline and rob all the demigods I wanted, and that's what I'm going to do! Now … where were we?"

"You were about to let us go."

"Hmm … No, I'm pretty sure that wasn't it. Ah, right! Money or your life. Where are your valuables? No valuables? Then I'll have to –"

"Wait, I have our valuables. At least, I can get them." Sciron pointed a flintlock at Bucky's head.

"Well, then, my dear, hop to it, or my next shot will cut off more than your friend's hair!" Bucky looked at Hazel, she seem to be concentrating. Soon precious metals started popping to the surface as though the earth was expel them out. Hazel was surrounded by a knee high mound of treasures, roman denarii, silver drachmas, ancient gold jewel let, glittering diamonds, topaz and rubies. There was so much of the treasures that it could fill many lawn bags. Sciron's laugh with delight.

"How in the world did you do that?" Hazel didn't answer that question.

"Just take the treasure. Let us go." Sciron's chuckled.

"Oh, but I did say all your valuables. I understand you're holding something very special on that ship … a certain ivory-and-gold statue about, say, forty feet tall?" Bucky was angry now, he wasn't going to give that statue to Sciron, that statue caused so much pain already with the many monsters it attracted, it also cost him his wife. Even though he wants to trade the statue for Emily, he knew she would be waiting for him at the house of hades if they get there in time. He stepped forward and spoke low and dangerous.

"The statue isn't negotiable."

"You're right, it's not! I must have it!"

"Gaea told you about it. She ordered you to take it." Sciron shrugged.

"Maybe. But she told me I could keep it for myself. Hard to pass up that offer! I don't intend to die again, my friends. I intend to live a long life as a very wealthy man!"

"The statue won't do you any good. Not if Gaea destroys the world." The muzzles of Scirom's pistols wavered.

"Pardon?"

"Gaea is using you. If you take that statue, we won't be able to defeat her. She's planning on wiping all mortals and demigods off the face of the earth, letting her giants and monsters take over. So where will you spend your gold, Sciron? Assuming Gaea even lets you live." Bucky watched Sciron, he has a feeling that there was two ways to this but both end in the same way. After counting to ten that Sciron's smile lines returned,

"All right! I'm not unreasonable. Keep the statue. Just one more thing, I always demand a show of respect. Before I let my victims leave, I insist that they wash my feet." Bucky expected that, Sciron's kicked off his leather boots, one right after the other, his bare feet was the most disgusting things he ever seen or done for that matter. For he done some very disgusting things as the winter soldier, he always hated thinking about those memories and he wished that those memories would just go away. He knows that Hades discarded those memories and told Emily that he would judge Bucky first hand if and when he dies. Bucky was glad of that, though he was still wary around hades and his other children but Hazel and Jennifer. It was mostly because he was still trying to get use to this world that Emily was part of it as well as the fear and death that come from Nico, Arabella and Hades. Bucky looked at Sciron's feet, they puffy, wrinkled and white as dough. It was as if they been soaking in formaldehyde for a few centuries or more. Tufts of brown hair sprouted from each misshapen toe, his jagged toenails were green and yellow, like a tortoise's shell. Than the smell hit, it was the most disgusting smell he ever smelled. Sciron's wrinkled his toes. "So! Who wants the left, and who wants the right?" Bucky was almost sure that his face was white as the feet were, desire the fact that he was expecting it. Bucky raised and eyebrow before he spoke.

"You've … got to be kidding."

"Not at all! Wash my feet, and we're done. I'll send you back down the cliff. I promise on the River Styx." Bucky was about ready to ask if he could talk with Hazel, for it was clear she could remember some of the story but not all of it. Though Bucky would admit that he was surprised that he remembered the story about Sciron's of where he couldn't remember other stories since Emily fell into Tartarus though that wasn't in his field of knowledge. But it seems like Hazel remembered the rest of the story.

"Could we have a moment?" Sciron's eyes narrowed at Hazel.

"What for?"

"Well, it's a big decision. Left foot, right foot. We need to discuss." Bucky could tell that Sciron was smiling under that mask.

"Of course, I'm so generous you can have two minutes." Hazel climbed out of her pile of treasure and lead Bucky as fury as she dared, about fifty feet down the cliff. Bucky hoped that was far enough out of earshot.

"Sciron kicks his victims off the cliff, I am taking a guess you remember right?"

"Yes, I would have said something but I think he would be aware that I remembered his story and I believe that this is that first test. Do you have a plan?" The weasel appeared from the bushes and was looking at Hazel like do you have any ideas. It seem that Hazel got an idea than she spoke.

"Unfortunately, yes, We have to let Sciron win." Bucky raised an eyebrow when she said that, than she told him the plan.

"FINALLY! That was much longer than two minutes!"

"Sorry, It was a big decision … which foot." Bucky hoped that this plan works and he hated the idea, Hazel hated it worse, he could tell as she told him the plan. So Bucky step forward with his hands open in surrender.

"I'll go first, Sciron. I'll wash your left foot."

"Excellent choice!"Sciron wriggled his hairy, corpse-like toes of which was totally disgusting. "I may have stepped on something with that foot. It felt a little squishy inside my boot. But I'm sure you'll clean it properly." Bucky wanted to drop the charade but he knew he couldn't even with her quick relaxes that he gain as the winter soldier and his metal arm.

"Sciron, do you have water? Soap? How are we supposed to wash –"

"Like this!" Sciron spun his left flintlock and it become a squirt bottle with a rag, than he tossed it to Bucky. Bucky looked at the label and raised an eyebrow.

"You want me to wash your feet with glass cleaner?"

"Of course not! It says multi-surface cleanser. My feet definitely qualify as multi-surface. Besides, it's antibacterial. I need that. Believe me, water won't do the trick on these babies." Sciron wiggled his toes and more door came, Bucky hated of what was going to do but he has to do it anyway.

"Fine,"

"Excellent! Now …" Sciron hopped to the nearer chunk of limestone that was the right size for a footstool and he was facing the water before he panted his foot. So that he looked like an explorer that just claimed some new land instead of a guy with disgust feet. "I'll watch the horizon while you scrub my bunions. It'll be much more enjoyable."

"Yeah, I bet." Bucky knelt in front of the bandit, at the edge of the cliff of where he was an easy target, one kick and he would topple over. Bucky hoped that Hazel would be able to do this, he was putting a lot on line here. He was sort of wished that he was the winter soldier at the moment, for he wouldn't get eaten by a large turtle as the winter shoulder. Bucky was doing his best not to notice the foot that he was cleaning, when Sciron kicked him at he fell, he screamed for a few moments before the wind caught him. He was a few feet above the turtle, the turtle rose up and seem to swallow something in one bite. Bucky sighed in relief when that happened, Hazel managed to do it. He knew at she could do it. Bucky could hear the alarms going off as he flew to the cliff and waited just below and listen to them.

"What did you do?"

"Oh, dear … That was an accident, I assure you."

"My friends will kill you now!"

"They can try. But in the meantime I think you have time to wash my other foot! Believe me, my dear. My turtle is full now. He doesn't want you too. You'll be quite safe, unless you refuse."

"Don't kick me." Hazel sounded like she was sobbing, but Bucky knew she was acting though. After a minute that he heard Hazel talking again. "Sciron, your feet are the least disgusting thing about you."

"Just clean. Just get on with it!" Bucky looked over the edge before flying up into the sky, for Hazel was cleaning the other way and thankfully since he was part of the illusion that he could see what was really going on. That Hazel managed to get Sciron to turn around one hundred and eighty degrees. Bucky was sure that Sciron only saw water in front of him. When the kick came that Hazel flew backwards but not far, she only landed in the grass a few yards. Sciron was staring at her in surprise. Bucky chuckled as he looked at Sciron.

"But …" he could tell the illusion was melting, for Sciron looked confused, the sea was Sciron's back now and he realized that he only kicked Hazel from the ledge. Sciron lowered his flintlock. "How –"

"Stand and deliver." That was his due, Bucky swooped out of the sky form right over Hazel and kicked Sciron in the face with his feet. Sciron screamed as he fell, Bucky landed on the ledge and watched Sciron fired his flintlock wildly but it was hitting nothing. Hazel got up and walked over to the ledge and stood by Bucky to watch as the turtle lunge and snapped Sciron out of the air. Bucky out an arm around Hazel's shoulders and grinned.

"I knew you could do it." Suddenly Hazel collapsed to her knees, Bucky remembered when one tries things for the first time that they could get dizzy if they do to much like what Emily did a couple of times but that was only because she was hit by something before hand. Bucky could hear the others cheering from the srgomii, Bucky knelt down besides and spoke. "Hazel, we need to get back to the ship." He wasn't sure if she could hear him or not. Hazel passed out,Bucky picked her up and flew down to the ship carrying her, when he reached the ship that Frank hurried to her and picked her up before carrying her to the chain. The others looked over at Bucky.

"What happened." So Bucky told them the whole story, when he finished that Lauren nodded and spoke.

"I am surprised she didn't black out sooner than she did."

"Why did she black out?" Phil spoke.

"Using the mist is like using your powers, if you haven't used much that it will have the same affect when you use too much of your powers. Like making those storms you do, if you over do it that you could pass out."

"Or if you knocked out and you try to use your powers right after you wake up will have similar efforts. It happened to Emily a couple of times." The ship went silent as soon as he said Emily, Bucky bit his lip and closed his eyes hoping that she wasn't died.

Emily's pov

Emily was unsure of what to do, their numbers were not good,mfor it was five against several dozen. Emily looked at Steve of who was just as confused of what he should do as well, Emily hopes that they would be able to figure out something. Percy jabbed riptide at the nearest shriveled hag.

"Back off." The shriveled hag sneered when Percy said and jabbed at her. The voice over spoke once more.

'We are the arai, You cannot destroy us.' Emily felt Steve pressed against her shoulder, Emily relax slight but gripped her sword tighter.

"Don't touch them. They're the spirits of curses.'

"Bob doesn't like curses." Small Bob disappeared inside Bob's coveralls, Sarah got off Emily's shoulder and followed Small Bob's example. Smart cats. The Titan sweated his broom in a wide arc forcing the spirits back but they came back in again.

'We serve the bitter and the defeated, We serve the slain who prayed for vengeance with their final breath. We have many curses to share with you.' Emily panicked slightly for she killed a lot of monsters in her time as well as dealing with enemies of S.H.I.E.L.D. She was sure that some of the. Cursed her, even if they have no idea about the godly world.

"I appreciate the offer. But my mom told me not to accept curses from strangers." The nearest demon lunged, her claws extended like bony switchblades. Emily was about ready to tell Percy back up but Percy cut the demon in two, as the demon vaporized that the sides of his chest started to bleed. He clamped his hand to his rib cage so that he fingers were covered in blood.

"Percy, you're bleeding! Oh, gods, on both sides."

"Geryon,'This is how I killed him …" the demons bares their fangs, more arai leaped from the black trees, flapping their leathery wings.

'Yes, they agreed. Feel the pain you inflicted upon Geryon. So many curses have been levelled at you, Percy Jackson. Which will you die from? Choose, or we will rip you apart!' Somehow Percy managed to stay in on his feet, the bleeding stopped at least, but she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"I don't understand." Bob's voice seem to echo from a long tunnel.

"If you kill one, it gives you a curse."

"But if we don't kill them …"

"They'll kill us anyway."

"I thought the HYDRA soldiers were bad, it seems like those days were easy compared to his." Steve snorted when Emily said that.

"No kidding."

'Choose! Will you be crushed like Kampê? Or disintegrated like the young telkhines you slaughtered under Mount St Helens? You have spread so much death and suffering, Percy Jackson. Let us repay you!' The winged hags pressed in, their breath was sour, their eyes were burning with hatred. They looked like furies, but Emily knows that this were worse that furies by far, for the three furies were under control of her father. But this things were wild and she was sure that they could multiply with ease. One of the demons lunged at Steve and he cut the demon in half, suddenly Steve dropped to his knees. There was a bullet hole in his side as well as a couple of other places.

'HYDRA soldier cursed you as they died when you shot them.' Emily went over to Steve to look at the bullet holes, there were a lot of bullet holes and in different areas. Emily has a feeling she would have a similar curse to that, for she also did the same thing as well, but one of them would be lit up on fire for the flame throwers. Another lunged at Annabeth, Annabeth dodged before stabbing the demon with the dagger. The demon turned to dust, Annabeth dropped the dagger and cried in alarm. Emily raised an eyebrow when Annabeth cried out unlike with Steve or Percy that Annabeth wasn't injured. Her eyes were closed, when she opened them that Emily almost cried out, for her eyes were pure white, she was touching her face looking around wildly.

"I can't see!" Percy ran to Annabeth's side as the arai cackled.

'Polyphemus cursed you when you tricked him with your invisibility in the Sea of Monsters. You called yourself Nobody. He could not see you. Now you will not see your attackers.'

"I've got you." As Percy said that, that Emily helped Steve to stand, it was only Bob and herself that haven't been cursed yet. She wasn't even sure if Bob was cursed, Percy put his arm around Annabeth just like Emily out name arm around. Steve of who looked a bit out of it. A dozen demons leaped for every directions, Bob yelled.

"SWEEP!" His broom who seed over Percy's head and took care of most of the arai but one got through to Emily. Emily swung her sword and cut the one in half, suddenly she felt like she was being stab from the side. Bleed came from her sides. Thankfully, it missed the child inside of her, Emily clutch at it the wound realizing where it came from. She fell to her knees. The voice spoke up.

'Yes the chimera cursed you before she died.' Many more were coming at them, Emily wasn't sure of how much longer they could hold out. They were weak when they got down here but they were getting more weaker, than they were before. It seems that Bob was not getting any curses or at least for now, she wondered why that was till Emily realized something. That the dip in the Lethe that Bob took might be considered a cure to the arai, Percy spoke up.

"Bob, you okay? No curses?"

"No curses for Bob!" The arai snarled and circled as well as eying the broom.

'The Titan is already cursed. Why should we torture him further? You, Percy Jackson, have already destroyed his memory.' Emily panicked, Bob was aware that his memories gone for she told him as such when he saw his brother. But she never told him of how he lost his memories or anything. Bob's spearhead dipped.

"Bob, don't listen to them. They're evil!" Bob turned and looked at Percy, he was paying no heed to Emily or the others.

"My memory … It was you?" The Sarai's red eyes were gleaming.

'Curse him, Titan! Add to our numbers!'

"Bob, it's a long story. I didn't want you to be my enemy. I tried to make you a friend." Emily managed to get to her knees as well as Steve and they were holding each knee for support.

'By stealing your life. Leaving you in the palace of Hades to scrub floors!'

"Which way? If we have to run?" Emily knew why Annabeth's was saying that. She needed to make sure that Bob understands that it might be true that Percy made hi forget hie old life but he turned out better for it but Percy went on.

"Bob, listen, the arai want you to get angry. They spawn from bitter thoughts. Don't give them what they want. We are your friends."

'You see his face? The boy cannot even convince himself. Did he visit you, after he stole your memory?' Bob's lower lip quivered.

"No, The other ones did."

"The other ones?" Bob scowled at him, his eyes full of hurt.

"Nico, Rachel. Nico visited. Told me about Percy. Said Percy was good. Said he was a friend. That is why Bob helped."

"But …" Emily knew that Percy was starting to feel bad, she stepped towards Bob once she moved away from Steve and looked at Bob before spoke to him.

"Bob, Percy may not have been able to visit. It might also be true that Percy may not thought about you. You two were fighting before your memory was gone and you went into the Lethe and your memories were gone. Percy didn't have the heart to kill you, not only that but the arai lied to you for you know that you are more than someone who cleans the palace. Though it took a while for Hades to overlook that fact. But he did make you more welcome after a while didn't he? I always did my best to be honest and open but here things you didn't understand or things I couldn't explain properly. There are things that I was unsure of how to tell you or explain, so I would try to tell I will explain one day because of that simple fact." Emily meant every word she said, for Hades was starting to realize Bob was more than what he was when Bob came along. Hades gave Bob a better room, Emily knows that Hades was thinking of doing something else for Bob later. "I try to help you realized that you were more than what you seem, Bob. That you could be more than a Titan and that you could be toss what you were. You might have been cursed but there are times when something good comes out of curses. In your case, good came out for you are able to decide who and what you want to become, you can go back to what you were or you can become more than what you are."

Emily always did her best to be honest with since he came to work for her father! She did tell him some things and be his friends. She helped Hades see last that the fact that Bob was a Titan by showing him that Bob could be what he wanted if he just accepted of who Bob was now instead of who he was. When Bob found out something that Emily would try to explain it and be as open and honest as she could be. That was mostly because Bob seem so childlike as oppose to what he was like before from what she heard. Emily never meet him before he lost his memories, it was hard to think of Bob as the Titan he was. Silence followed that statement, it seem that the arai were impatient for the arai attacked. Emily expected that Bob wouldn't stop the arai but she hoped he did, to her surprise and the arai that Bob stopped the arai. Bob slashed back and forth destroying demons one after the other, Percy, Emily mad Steve managed to fig while Annabeth learned against a tree.

Emily managed to get poison from a Manitcore and a couple of other curses as well but it seem weird to have that poison in her. However it seem that Percy got a lot of curses since he was upset about what the curses did to Annabeth. Most of the arai were vaporized but the smart ones flown off into the darkness shrieking in terror. Emily and Steve didn't look good after the curses hit them but Percy was the worst of the three. Percy's legs buckle before he fell to the ground on his knees and he grunted while Bob went to Annabeth before carrying over to them. Bob put Annabeth down, Emily noticed that Annabeth has a couple of other curses now, Bob touched Annabeth's forehead.

"Owie." When Bob brought her over that annabeth was fighting, but she stopped when Bob touched her. Her eyes cleared and returned to her gray color.

"Where – what –?" Emily looked at Percy of who looked awful, it seems Ann her realized Percy. "What's wrong with him? What happened?" Annabeth cradled his shoulder and wept into his scalp, Emily was close of crying herself. Partly because of Percy but partly because she was glad that Bucky wasn't down here with her. Annabeth took Percy's face and kissed him and tried to wipe his face with her hands of which didn't do much good. Bon was looming over them, he also healed Emily and Steve while Annabeth was cradling Percy. Emily looked up at Bob, his face was unreadable, she wondered if what she said had any effect on his memories.

"Lots of curses, Percy has done bad things to monsters."

"Can you fix him? Like you did with my blindness? Fix Percy!" Bob frowned before he picked at the name tag on his uniform like it was a scab. "Bob –"

"Iapetus. Before Bob. It was Iapetus." Emily took a sharp intake of breath,she figured at his memories were healing but it was clear that his memories were coming back now. The air was still, than Annabeth broke the silence.

"I like Bob better. Which do you like?" Bob regarded Annabeth with his eyes.

"I do not know any more." Emily got up to her feet had touched Bob's hand and he looked at her.

"Bob, I told you cns be more than what you are or were, you don't have to be Iapetus. Honestly I think you were better off as Bob than Iapetus. For when you were memories were wiped clean at it allowed you to be who you really were." Bob smiled weakly. Error he crouched next to Annabeth and studied Percy, bob's face looked haggard and careworn as if he felt the weight of all his years.

"I promised, Nico asked me to help. I do not think Iapetus or Bob likes breaking promises." Emily smiled, Emily was sure that Nico asked him to help because Emily was down here as well as the other three. Than Bob touched Percy's forehead.

"Owie, Very big owie." Percy tried to meet bob's eyes but couldn't for hair head lolled against his chest.

"Bob cannot cure this. Too much poison. Too many curses piled up." Steve put his arms around Emily as Annabeth hugged Percy's shoulders. Emily noticed he called himself Bob, maybe he decided to stay as Bob and not his old self.

"What can we do, Bob? Is there water anywhere? Water might heal him."

"No water. Tartarus is bad."

"No, No, there has to be a way. Something to heal him." Emily wanted to say or do something but she was unsure of what to say or do at the moment. Bob placed his hand on Percy's chest, than Bob lifted his hand.

"Tartarus kills demigods. It heals monsters, but you do not belong. Tartarus will not heal Percy. The pit hates your kind."

"I don't care, Even here, there has to be someplace he can rest, some kind of cure he can take. Maybe back at the altar of Hermes, or –" Than Emily heard a voice, one that she heard before only a few weeks earlier.

"I SMELL HIM! BEWARE, SON OF POSEIDON! I COME FOR YOU!"

"Polybotes, He hates Poseidon and his children. He is very close now." Emily got up and helped Annabeth with getting Percy to his feet. Percy was rather heavy, Emily hoped that Steve or Bucky don't weigh as much but she has a feeling that they would weigh more. If Steve was in his ore serum form than Steve would have been easier to carry for Steve was like ninth pounds before. When they meet again after fourteen years that Emily was bigger than Steve. That first year after the serum that it was odd to see Steve in his serum form, but thinking back on it, it was weird to think of him in his pre serum form. Funny of how things change as the years to on.

"Bob, I'm going on, with or without you, Will you help?" The kitten newer and began to purr, rubbing against bob's chin while Sarah came over to Emily and jumped onto her shoulder. Bob was looking at Percy before he looked at Rachel.

"There is one place. There is a giant who might know what to do." Annabeth almost dropped Percy.

"A giant. Uh, Bob, giants are bad."

"One is good, Trust me, and I will take you … unless Polybotes and the others catch us first." Emit looked at Annabeth.

"He speaks truly, Annabeth, about this one giant. For this giant was the one I brought up earlier."


	26. Chapter 26

Bucky's pov

Jason fell asleep on the job, Bucky wasn't sure of how that was possible, with the fact that Jason was fighting some wild storm spirits. Bucky managed to gain control of a couple of them, thanks to who his father was, those couple helped defend the ship whenever there was an attack on the ship. Bucky ran over to where Jason fell when he killed the last storm spirit, that was attacking the ship. Jason was falling down rather fast, it might be the winds for all Bucky knows that was making him go faster, Piper and Leo came over when they realized what happened. Piper yelled down at Jason using her charmspeak.

"WAKE UP!" Jason's eyes snapped open, Jason barley managed to summon the winds in time before he crashed into the Adriatic. Bucky was glad of Piper's quick thinking and charmspeak, at times he wondered if he could charmspeak but he doubt it. Once Jason was back on board that he puled Leo aside and suggested a course correction, Bucky couldn't help wonder why Jason wanted the course change, Bucky didn't say anything for he hoped Jason would explain of why he asked Leo to change course. Leo just grinned when Jason's suggested the course change.

"Weird vacation spot. But, hey, you're the boss!" After a while they went to the mess hall, Bucky was sitting between Phil and Lauren. He was surprised to see Arabella there as well, he figured that Nico managed to get her out of the cabin since he was sitting next to her. As they ate that Jason told him about hai midair vision of where the small groups of Romans were ready to attack camp Halfblood once they were sure of where the camp was. Apparently Annabeth and Emily managed to got a note out of Tartarus, Emily had made sure that the small group of Romans swear on the river Styx not to attack till Reyna gets back with the statue. It seems that Reyna was there trying to get the small group of Romans to stop the war that they started. Bucky wasn't sure why the Romans wanted this war, but it sounded like they blamed the HYDRA soldiers attack on the Greeks. Apparently Reyna was on her way and on the plus side that Emily was still alive, it help ease him knowing that she was at least alive. It seem to made Arabella a little better knowing Emily was still alive down there, but he wasn't sure of how happy Arabella really was or if she was just as worried as Bucky was. Piper shook her head in amazement.

"A note from Annabeth and Emily. I don't see how that's possible, but if it is –"

"They're alive, Thank the gods and pass the hot sauce." Franks frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"It means pass the hot sauce, Zhang. I'm still hungry."

"I can't believe Reyna would try to find us. It's taboo, coming to the ancient lands. She'll be stripped of her praetorship."

"If she lives. It was hard enough for us to make it this far with seven demigods and a warship."

"And me. Don't forget, cupcake, you got the satyr advantage." Bucky smiled slightly when Gleeson said that, Bucky was still unsure of what to make of Gleeson expect for the fact that Gleeson makes him laugh and that he could be pretty ridiculous. At first Bucky was not sure of how Emily and Lauren could stand Gleeson but after getting to know Gleeson that Bucky was starting understand of why that was. Bucky looked at Lauren of who was also smiling, it was most likely the first smile he seen on her face since Emily and Steve fell into Tartarus. He looked at Phil and Aubrey, both of them were smiling as well, but he did notice that they were holding hands. That made him wish that Emily was here, his spirits as he thought of what Jason just said about his vision. He wasn't sure about Steve still, but Bucky figured that Steve was alive, but Emily was at least alive. That gave hope that he would see her again and he was still hoping that Steve was alive and with her. Than Bucky heard Leo talking.

"Jason? Argo II to Jason. Come in." Bucky looked at Jason when Jason came back down to earth from whatever he was thinking about.

"Yeah, sorry. Crossing the Atlantic is a hard journey, no doubt. But I'd never bet against Reyna. If anyone can make it, she will." Piper was circling her spoon through her soup, when they were there at New Rome that it was clear that Reyna wasn't happy with the fact that Jason has a girlfriend and it wasn't her.

"Well, I'd love to see Reyna again. But how is she supposed to find us?" Frank raised his hand,

"Can't you just send her an Iris-message?"

"They're not working very well, Horrible reception. Every night, I swear, I could kick that rainbow goddess …" Gleeson faltered and his face turned bright red, Bucky looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Was it possible that there was someone that Gleeson likes. Leo was grinning.

"Coach? Who have you been calling every night, you old goat?"

"No one! Nothing! I just meant –" Hazel intervened.

"He means we've already tried. Some magic is interfering … maybe Gaia. Contacting the Romans is even harder. I think they're shielding themselves." Bucky looked between Hazel and Gleeson, whatever was going hat Hazel knew something of it at least, even if it was just a little bit. If Emily was here that she might know of what is up or have an idea at least, but that also depends on the family connections that Emily might pick up from him. Provided that she would pick up family connection from Gleeson and if that was bothering him that he was worried about his family. It was hard to think of Gleeson being a family man. Frank was drumming his fingers on the table.

"I don't suppose Reyna has a cell phone …? Nah. Never mind. She'd probably have bad reception on a pegasus flying over the Atlantic."

"She'll find us. She mentioned something in the dream – she's expecting me to go to a certain place on our way to the House of Hades. I – I'd forgotten about it, actually, but she's right. It's a place I need to visit." Piper leaned towards Jason before she spoke.

"And where is this place?"

"A … uh, a town called Split."

"Split."

"Um, yeah." Bucky was wondering if she was having some sort of effect on Jason, he wasn't sure on that though, he doesn't know for sure of what kind of powers that children of Aphrodite have. Besides making heir outfit look beautiful or radiate beauty or charmspeak. "In fact, we should be getting close. Leo?" Leo punched the intercom button.

"How's it going up there, buddy?" Festus creaked and steam.

"He says maybe ten minutes to the harbour. Though I still don't get why you want to go to Croatia, especially a town called Split. I mean, you name your city Split, you gotta figure it's a warning to, you know, split. Kind of like naming your city Get Out!"

"Wait. Why are we going to Croatia?" Bucky was about the only one who meet Hazel in the eye, ever since her trick with Sciron that everyone felt nervous around her. Not everyone, Bucky, Nico and Arabella about the only ones were not nervous around her. He was sure Nico was used to people being nervous around him, but if he was nervous that he didn't show it. Arabella could use magic, though he wasn't sure of the magic Arabella could do or even if Arabella could use the mist.

"Well, technically we've been in Croatian territory for the past day or so. All that coastline we've been sailing past is it, but I guess back in the Roman times it was called … what'd you say, Jason? Bodacious?"

"Dalmatia." Bucky was the only one that didn't jump when Nico spoke up, Nico and Arabella stepped out of the shadows, Bucky figured he noticed them before because he got use to the darkness that comes when the lights in Emily's cabin went out. Plus his senses seem to be tuned up after becoming the winter soldier, however he figured it came from being the winter solider as oppose to the darkness around Emily's cabin at nighttime. For Bucky use to disappear and appear quite suddenly as the winter soldier just like Nico, not just like Nico but the idea was similar. Bucky was sure that he would be able to do that if he tried it again, but he didn't want to, for he feared that HYDRA might notice or something and try to get him back. That was the last thing he needed or wanted at the moment, when HYDRA came to Nee Rome that he was scared that they may try to take him back and make him the winter soldier again. Nico was was looking at Jason when he stepped forward, looking at Nico and Arabella that he knows that if Emily was here that she would make sure that they sleep and eat more than what they have been doing.

"Croatia used to be Dalmatia, a major Roman province. You want to visit Diocletian's Palace, don't you?"

"Whose palace? And is Dalmatia where those Dalmatian dogs come from? That 101 Dalmatians movie – I still have nightmares." Bucky looked at Gleeson in slight surprised,sure if it was Cruella, than he would get it. But there was nothing else that scary from that movie, besides it too place in England not Greece. Frank was scratching his head.

"Why would you have nightmares about that?" Gleeson looked like he was going to launch into a speech about the evils of cartoon Dalmatians, but it seems Jason didn't want to know of which Bucky was glad of.

"Nico is right, I need to go to Diocletian's Palace. It's where Reyna will go first, because she knows I would go there."

"And why would Reyna think that? Because you've always had a mad fascination with Croatian culture?" Jason was staring at his unbeaten sandwich, Bucky hadn't touched his stew either, there was too much for him to think to even consider eating

"Reyna and I used to talk about Diocletian. We both kind of idolized the guy as a leader. We talked about how we'd like to visit Diocletian's Palace. Of course we knew that was impossible. No one could travel to the ancient lands. But still we made this pact that if we ever did that's where we'd go." Leo seem to consider the name, Bucky has no clue of this guy was, not a big surprise since he was still a lot of information and not just Greek information. Leo shook his head as if he couldn't figure it out of who the guy was either.

"Diocletian … I got nothing. Why was he so important?" Frank looked offended when Leo said that.

"He was the last great pagan emperor!" Leo rolled his eyes.

"Why am I not surprised you know that, Zhang?"

"Why wouldn't I? He was the last one who worshipped the Olympian gods, before Constantine came along and adopted Christianity." Hazel nodded when Frank said that.

"I remember something about that. The nuns at St Agnes taught us that Diocletian was a huge villain, right along with Nero and Caligula." Hazel looked askance at Jason. "Why would you idolize him?"

"He wasn't a total villain. Yeah, he persecuted Christians, but otherwise he was a good ruler. He worked his way up from nothing by joining the legion. His parents were former slaves … or at least his mom was. Demigods know he was a son of Jupiter – the last demigod to rule Rome. He was also the first emperor ever to retire, like, peacefully, and give up his power. He was from Dalmatia, so he moved back there and built a retirement palace. The town of Split grew up around …" Jason faltered when he looked at Leo, Bucky looked over at Leo and he slapped his hand to his face. Leo was mimicking taking notes in the air with an air pencil, usually he didn't mind Leo don't something like this, but he wasn't in the proper mood for jokes at the moment.

"Go on, Professor Grace! I wanna get an A on the test."

"Shut up, Leo." Bucky slid his hand down as Piper sipped another spoonful of soup.

"So why is Diocletian's Palace so special?" Nico leaned over before he plunked a couple of grapes and gave one to Arabella.

"It's said to be haunted by the ghost of Diocletian."

"Who was a son of Jupiter, like me. His tomb was destroyed centuries ago, but Reyna and I used to wonder if we could find Diocletian's ghost and ask where he was buried … well, according to the legends, his sceptre was buried with him." Nico gave Jason a thin creepy smile of which creeped Bucky out.

"Ah … that legend."

"What legend?" Nico turned to Hazel.

"Supposedly Diocletian's sceptre could summon the ghosts of the Roman legions, any of them who worshipped the old gods." Leo whistled.

"Okay, now I'm interested. Be nice to have a booty-kicking army of pagan zombies on our side when we enter the House of Hades."

"Not sure I would've put it that way, but yeah."

"We don't have much time, it's already July ninth. We have to get to Epirus, close the Doors of Death –"

"Which are guarded by a smoky giant and a sorceress who wants …" Hazel hesitated. "Well, I'm not sure. But according to Pluto, she plans to 'rebuild her domain'. Whatever that means, it's bad enough that my dad felt like warning me personally."

"And, if we survive all that, we still have to find out where the giants are waking Gaia and get there before the first of August. Besides, the longer Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth are in Tartarus –"

"I know. We won't take long in Split. But looking for the sceptre is worth a try. While we're at the palace, I can leave a message for Reyna, letting her know the route we're taking for Epirus." Nico nodded.

"The sceptre of Diocletian could make a huge difference. You'll need my help." Jason seem be uncomfortable of thought of going along by Nico.

"Hey, sounds fun. I'll go, too." Nico shook his head.

"You can't, Piper. It should only be Jason, Arabella, and me. Diocletian's ghost might appear for a son of Jupiter, but any other demigods would most likely … ah, spook him. And Arabella and myself are the only ones who can talk to his spirit. Even Hazel won't be able to do that." Nico's eyes held. Gleam of challenge, suddenly there a summer breeze but the odd thing it was mixed in with smells of summer and spring. That was not the only odd thing but he could hear the wind, it seem to be telling him that he needs to go as well. Something that was important, but of what that was Bucky wasn't sure. Nico looked over at Bucky as soon as the breeze died, Bucky this spoke up.

"I am not sure why but I have to go as well." It was clear that the other understood that the winds seem to tell him that he has to go with them. Even if it wasn't for the winds he would have gone anyway, since he wanted to look out for Arabella and Nico. Jennifer and Hazel would be fine here. The bell sounded, Festus creaked and whirred over the loudspeaker.

"We've arrived. Time to Split."

"Can we leave Valdez in Croatia?" Jasonstood up.

"Frank, you're in charge of defending the ship. Leo, you've got repairs to do. You cns have Jennifer help you or anyone else that can help you." Jennifer looked happy that as well as Leo. "The rest of you, help out wherever you can. Nico, Arabella, Bucky and I …" Jason faced the children of Hades. "We have a ghost to find."

The Argo II anchored in the bay along with six or seven cruise ships, as usual, the mortals paid no heed to the trireme. Just to be on he safe side that Jason, Nico, Bucky and Arabella hopped on a skiff from one of the cruise ships so that they looked like they were part of the crowd when they went on shore. As soon as they reached the shore that he felt a pair of hands gasping his arm, he looked over and saw it was Arabella of which surprised him. Actually if he other tow did the same thing that he would be even more surprised than before. Bucky looked away and looked at Split, curving around the Barbour was a long esplanade lined with palm trees. At the sidewalk cafés were European teenagers that were hanging out, speaking a dozen different languages as well as to enjoy the sunny afternoon. The air smelled of grilled meat and fresh cut flowers, whence smelled the flowers he felt like he was going to break down. For the smell reminded Bucky too much to Emily, for she smelled of nature whenever he buried his face in her hair as well as generally.

Beyond the main boulevard, the city was a hodgepodge of medieval castle towers, Roman walls, limestone town houses with red tiled roofs and modern office buildings all crammed together. In the distance there was grey green hills marched towards a mountain ridge, looking at the hills and the mountain ridge made Bucky nervous. Bucky hoped that the face of Gaea didn't appear in the mountain ridge, he seem her face as well as see her with her eyes open. Even with her eyes closed that he could feel the power coming from Gaea, he wished that he could just shot her and kill her. But that won't happen not with Gaea. Nico, Jason, Arabella and Bucky were wandering along the esplanade when Jason seem to spotted something. Bucky nearly ran into Jason when he stopped, Jason nudged Nico, Bucky and Arabella followed Jason's gaze. Bucky saw that it was a man with wings, Bucky didn't expect to see anyone with wings in Split.

"Are you seeing this?"

"Yeah. Maybe we should buy some ice cream." They made their way to the winged guy at the street cart. The guy was wearing a red tank top, Bermuda shorts and huaraches sandals, of which seems out of place for this kind of city. His wings were a combination of russet colors, like a bantam rooster or a lazy sunset, he has a deep tan and black hair that was as curly as Leo's.

"He's not a returned spirit. Or a creature of the Underworld."

"No, I doubt they would eat chocolate-covered ice-cream bars." Arabella spoke up, of which surprised Bucky.

"Hey, I eat chocolate covered ice cream bars. I was raised in the underworld." Bucky was close of laughing when Jason's looked back at Arabella in surprise, Bucky has to admit that made worth the trip so far. Nico spoke before Jason could say anything more.

"So what is he?" When they got within thirty feet that the winged guy looked directly at them. He smiled at them before he gestured over his shoulder with his ice cream bar, this he dissolved into the air. Bucky couldn't see the guy any more but he could see that there was a warm wisp of red and gold zipping across the street. It spiraled down the sidewalk and was blowing postcards from the carousels in front of tourist shops. The wind was heading towards the end of the promenade of where a big fortress like stricture loomed. Bucky looked at the fortress structure wondering if they was the place Jason spoke of.

"I'm betting that's the palace. Come on." Bucky has to sat that Diocletian's palace was still impressive, even after two millennia of standing there. The outer wall was only a pink granite shell with crumbling columns and arched windows open to the sky. But it seems mostly intact, a quarter mike long and a good seventy or eight feet tall, dwarfing the modern shops and houses that huddled beneath it. Bucky wondered what this place must have looked like she it was newly built all those years ago. The wind guy was whisking in and out of the pink granite windows before disappearing in the other side. Bucky was scanning he palace's facade for an way in I her than the one with the bunch of tourists around it.

"We've got to catch him. Hold on."

"But –" Jason grabbed Nico and lifted them both into the air, Bucky grabbed hold of Arabella's hand and did the same thing as Jason did with Nico. Arabella seem to close to scream, Bucky knows that she didn't like being the air for it was the area of Zeus. But Bucky was sure Zeus wouldn't harm them, one because of who his sister in law was and because Zeus was having a personality disorder at the moment. Bucky could hear Nico making muffled sound of protest as they soared over the walls and into the courtyard. Bucky held into Arabella trying to get her to worry less about being in the sir but he was no Emily. When they landed in the courtyard that Arabella seem glad that she was back on the ground. Bucky noticed that a little kid did a double take when they landed, than his eyes glazed over and he shook his head, no one else paid them any need. On the left side of the courtyard stood a line of columns holding up weathered grey arches, on the right side there was a white marble building with rows of to so windows,

"The peristyle. This was the entrance to Diocletian's private residence." Nico scowled at Jason. "And, please, I don't like being touched. Don't ever grab me again." Arabella was still gasping his arm, she looked more concern about going up in the air than not being touched. But Bucky noticed the undertone of a threat in Nico's voice, Bucky wondered if it was another thing that was common among children of Hades. But Emily and Arabella seem to prove that fact wrong.

"Uh, okay. Sorry. How do you know what this place is called?" Nico scanned the atrium, he was focusing on some steps in the fee corner leading down. His eyes were as dark as his blade.

"I've been here before. With my mother and Bianca. A weekend trip from Venice. I was maybe … six?"

"That was when … the 1930s?"

"'Thirty-eight or so. Why do you care? Do you see that winged guy anywhere?"

"No …" if Bucky was born in this time, he would be trying to wrap his mind around Nico's last but he didn't need to for he was alive during that time and the war hadn't started but it was getting close to it or barely started at that point in time. However Bucky knows it wasn't easy to figure out Nico, for Nico wasn't easy to figure out.

"I just … I can't imagine how weird that must be, coming from another time."

"No, you can't." Nico was staring at the stone floor before Nico took a deep breath. "Look … I don't like talking about it. Honestly, I think Hazel has it worse. She remembers more about when she was young. She had to come back from the dead and adjust to the modern world. Me … me and Bianca, we were stuck at the Lotus Hotel. Time passed so quickly. In a weird way, that made the transition easier."

"Percy told me about that place. Seventy years, but it only felt like a month?" Nico clenched his fist until his fingers till they turned white.

"Yeah. I'm sure Percy told you all about me." Bucky noticed that Nico's voice was heavy with bitterness, Bucky looked at Nico remembering shortly after he saw Emily again that commonly children of Hades or Pluto didn't have very good lives. Nico seem like an example of that fact, Bucky had a hard time thinking of that fact an sip till now he thought Emily overstated that fact. But with the things he heard and the bitterness that Nico spoke that he realized of how wrong he was was. It seems of what Emily said was an understatement. He heard that Nico blamed Percy for the death of his one sister but they supposedly got past that part. Bucky also heard a rumor that Nico has or use to have a crush on Annabeth, however Bucky finds that hard to believe though. But Nico seem to push people away as oppose to his sisters that didn't push people away. Even Arabella wasn't pushing anyone away, if she was that she wouldn't have gasp his arm when the entered the city. Nico's eyes swept the windows above them

"Roman dead are everywhere here … Lares. Lemures. They're watching. They're angry."

"At us?" Jason's hand went to his sword, Arabella spoke.

"At everything." Nico pointed to a small stone building on the west end of her courtyard, than he spoke.

"That used to be a temple to Jupiter. The Christians changed it to a baptistery. The Roman ghosts don't like that." Bucky looked at the dark doorway, he wondered if his father has any temples in ancient times. He shook his head and dragged his elf out of his thoughts.

"And over there …" Bucky looked away as Nico pointed east to a hexagonal building ringed with freestanding columns. "That was the mausoleum of the emperor."

"But his tomb isn't there any more."

"Not for centuries. When the empire collapsed, the building was turned into a Christian cathedral." Bucky swallowed, he has a feeling if Diocletain's ghost was still around that he wouldn't happy, it seems Jason was thinking the same thing.

"So if Diocletian's ghost is still around here –"

"He's probably not happy." He wind rustled, pushing leaves and food wrappers across the peristyle, Bucky caught a glimpse of movement and it was a blue of red and gold. When Bucky turned to look that there was a single rust colored feather settling on the steps that led down. Jason pointed towards the feather.

"That way. The winged guy. Where do you think those stairs lead?" Nico drew his sword, his smile was more unsettling than his scowl, not only that but Arabella let to and drew out her bow and arrows. Her smile was much less unsettling than Nico's, at the moment she seems more like the fifteen year old girl he met at the Captain America and Lieutenant USA exhibit than when they entered Split.

"Underground. My favourite place." Arabella smiled and nodded in argeement when Nico said that Bucky wasn't surprised by that. Underground was not Bucky's favorite place. After what happened when he went with Leo, Frank and Hazel that he had nightmares of being trapped in a room with no way out. It scared him, he felt so lost, alone and helpless, he always tried to use his hands to move away the dirt and stone. He wasn't sure if that was because he was a child of a wind god or not, but he didn't like being underground and knowing that Emily was down further than he ever been made it worse for Bucky. Having Nico and Arabella there was not reassuring, Nico's sword makes the shadows more gloomier as though it was drawing the light and hear out of the air. Arabella's bow and arrows were having the same effect, Bucky wouldn't say that he doesn't get cold for he felt it before he fell off the train. But after his powers came to light that he never got cold, though he wondered of he could be frozen when he was a fire user.

He remembers what happened at the wolf house, for his fire melt away the ice and snow. But he remember feeling that something made his powers go dim before he was frozen and that there was a coldness at his neck almost like if it was calling the fire away from him so he could be frozen till he was needed. Before that battle at the war house that he meet Khione and when she spoke that he felt a coldness on the back of his neck. He realized that must have been her doing, sure he cousin use fire when he was the winter solider but he has a feeling that she was able to override that power since it was weak at that time. As Khione spoke that the coldness fell form the back of his neck and seem to disappear just before the attack came. He remembered something was trying to make hi froze as he fought and he knew it was Khione, it was like she was trying to bring out the winter soldier in him. But his fire overwriting her snow powers.

Since than he never felt cold and he would not be able to be frozen ever again, not till now as they went down below into the underground. For Bucky felt like he was Bucksicle, well it might be a Wintsickle instead, Bucky shook his head dragging himself out of those thoughts. The crept thought a vast cellar with thick support columns holding up a vaulted ceiling. The limestone blocks were so old that they fused together from centuries of moisture, so that the place looked almost like a naturally formed cave. None of the tourists ventured down here, he was sure that the tourists were smarter than they were. Bucky and Jason drew their swords as they made their way under the low archways, their steps were echoing on he stone floor. Barred windows lined the top of one walls facing the street level, but it made it seem the cellar more claustrophobic. The shafts of sunlight looked like a slanted prison bars, swirling with ancient dust, it reminded Bucky of when he saw Rachel become the new oracle of Delphi.

When they passed a support beam that Jason stopped, Bucky looked at Jason and noticed to Jason's left was a marble bust of some dude from long ago. Bucky took a guess that this was Diocletian, it seems that his limestone face was glowering with disapproval. It seem that weird things happen every day in a demigod's life and he thought his life as a howling commando married to a demigod or his life as the winter solider was weird enough. Be it seems his life just keeps getting weirder and more dangerous by the day, he was surprised that Emily lived this long. Looking at Jason that he noticed that Jason was steadied his breathing, Jason slipped the note between the bust and it's pedestal and stepped back. Suddenly a voice spoke and Bucky thought it came from the bust.

"Hello!" Jason sliced off the emperor's head and the bust toppled off, than the bust shattered against the floor. "That wasn't very nice." It was than that Bucky realized the voice came from behind them, so he turned around. The winged man from the ice cream stand was leaning against a nearby column, casually tossing a small bronze hoop in the air and at his feet sat a wicker picnic basket full of fruit. "I mean, what did Diocletian ever do to you?" The air swirled around Jason's feet, the shares of marble gathered into a miniature tornado. The shards spiraled back to the pedestal and reassembled into a complete bust and the note was still tucked underneath. Jason and Bucky lowered their swords.

"Uh – It was an accident. You startled me." The winged man chuckled.

"Jason Grace, the West Wind has been called many things … warm, gentle, life-giving and devilishly handsome. But I have never been called startling. I leave that crass behaviour to my gusty brethren in the north." She the winged guy said that, that Bucky realized of who this winged guy was, apparently so did Nico for he inches backwards.

"The West Wind? You mean you're –"

"Favonius, God of the West Wind." Bucky looked at Jason she he said that before looking back at his uncle, his uncle smiled and bowed.

"You can call me by my Roman name, certainly, or Zephyros, if you're Greek. I'm not hung up about it." Nico seem pretty hunt about it.

"Why aren't your Greek and Roman sides in conflict, like the other gods?" Zephyr is shrugged.

"Oh, I have the occasional headache. Some mornings I'll wake up in a Greek chiton when I'm sure I went to sleep in my SPQR pyjamas. But mostly the war doesn't bother me. I'm a minor god, you know – never really been much in the limelight. The to-and-fro battles among you demigods don't affect me as greatly." Neither Bucky or Jason were sure sure of whether to sheathe his sword, but than Zephyros looked over at Bucky. "At least, I finally get meet to my nephew, James Barnes, again I remembered when you were born, I went eight your father to see you shortly after your birth." Bucky lowered his sword, it was odd to hear his first name when someone spoke to him.

"I don't remember that. Usually I go by Bucky." His uncle chuckled when Bucky said at.

"Of course not, you were barely a week old the last time I saw you in person. But I watched you your whole life till that seventy year gap, the same thing with your father. I am pleased to see that you have returned and that your father allowed you to use your powers." Bucky wasn't sure of what to say to that but Jason decided to change the subject.

"So … What are you doing here?"

"Several things! Hanging out with my basket of fruit. I always carry a basket of fruit. Would you like a pear?"

"I'm good. Thanks."

"Let's see … earlier I was eating ice cream. Right now I'm tossing this quoit ring." His uncle spun the bronze hoop on his index finger, Bucky didn't say anything as Jason spoke up.

"'I mean why did you appear to us? Why did you lead us to this cellar?" His uncle nodded.

"Oh! The sarcophagus of Diocletian. Yes. This was its final resting place. The Christians moved it out of the mausoleum. Then some barbarians destroyed the coffin. I just wanted to show you –" Bucky's uncle spread his hands sadly. "– that what you're looking for isn't here. My master has taken it." Bucky was confused slightly but than he remembered the main wind god, Aeolus and that was the one who controls the other winds.

"Your master? Please tell me your master isn't Aeolus." His uncle snorted when Jason said that.

"That airhead? No, of course not." Nico's voice turned edgy.

"He means Eros. Cupid, in Latin." Arabella nearly dropped her bow and she moved in behind Bucky, Bucky looked at Arabella puzzled. Bucky's uncle smiled, this time his uncle was addressing Nico this time.

"Very good, Nico di Angelo. I'm glad to see you again, by the way. It's been a long time." Nico knitted his eyebrows together.

"I've never met you."

"You've never seen me. But I've been watching you. When you came here as a small boy, and several times since. I knew eventually you would return to look upon my master's face." Than his uncle turned and looked at Arabella of who was half hidden behind Bucky. "Arabella Evans, I am glad to see you again. Just like Nico, I have been watching you and I knew you to would come here to look upon my master's face." Both Nico and Arabella turned paler than usual, Bucky didn't understood of why they were so scared. It was Eros for crying out, a child of Aphrodite, how can he be so scary to children of Hades of who naturally radiate fear and death. Their eyes were darting around the room as though they felt they were trapped.

"Nico? Arabella? What's he talking about?"

"I don't know. Nothing." Arabella took his of his shirt and shook her head as though she was unable to say anything. His uncle cried.

"Nothing? The one you care for most … plunged into Tartarus, and still you will not allow the truth?" This his uncle looked at Arabella. "Yet, after so many years of knowing the one you care that you haven't allowed the truth to come out." Bucky has no idea of who his uncle was talking about with Arabella but he has a feeling of who it was that his uncle was talking about with Nico. Bucky remembers hearing that rumor about Nico having a crush on Annabeht but inseams that his feelings went deeper than that. Nico seem to want to change the subject.

"We've only come for Diocletian's sceptre. Where is it?" His uncle nodded sadly.

"Ah … You thought it would be as easy as facing Diocletian's ghost? I'm afraid not, Nico. Your trials will be much more difficult. You know, long before this was Diocletian's Palace, it was the gateway to my master's court. I've dwelt here for aeons, bringing those who sought love into the presence of Cupid." His uncle looked over at Bucky before he went on. "I feared one day you would face my master, thankfully you have to face him like Nico or Arabella will have to." Bucky was confused but his uncle nodded to his wedding ban, Bucky started to understood what his uncle was getting out. That Nico and Arabella would have to confess their love for Annabeth and whoever Arabella likes. It was Jason who spoke up.

"Like Psyche, Cupid's wife. You carried her to his palace." Bucky's uncles were twinkling when Jason said that.

"Very good, Jason Grace. From this exact spot, I carried Psyche on the winds and brought her to the chambers of my master. In fact, that is why Diocletian built his palace here. This place has always been graced by the gentle West Wind." His uncle spread his arms out. "It is a spot of tranquillity and love in a turbulent world. When Diocletian's Palace was ransacked –"

,You took the sceptre."

"For safekeeping. It is one of Cupid's many treasures, a reminder of better times. If you want it …" Bucky's uncle turned to Nico before he turned to Arabella. "You two must face the god of love." Nico and Arabella stared at the sunlight coming through the windows as though they were wishing that they could escape through those narrow openings. Bucky wasn't sure of why this seem so bad for them to confess of who they liked, Bucky thought back on Emily mad their first kiss. He would admit that he started to fall for her after she helped save him but than again he always loved but he didn't know it when he first meet her. At first he wasn't sure of what to say or do around her or even if he should tell her that he loves her. But he admitted it, it seem hard to admit it to her, once they were married that he never planned on leaving her and if he did that he would go back to her.

"Arabella, Nico, you two can do this. It might be embarrassing, but it's for the sceptre." Neither Arabella or Nico looked convinced, in fact Nico looked like he was going to be sick while Arabella was shaking. Arabella managed to stop shaking and nodded without saying a word, Nico squared his shoulders and nodded.

"You're right. I – I'm not afraid of a love god." His uncle beamed.

"Excellent! Would you like a snack before you go?" His uncle plucked a green apple from his basket before he frowned at it. "Oh, bluster. I keep forgetting my symbol is a basket of unripe fruit. Why doesn't the spring wind get more credit? Summer has all the fun." His uncle looked at Bucky before going on. "No offense."

"None taken. I can't make food but my wife can." His uncle chuckled and smiled.

"I have to say it was amusing when you toe got married all those years ago. The son of the crop destroyer marring a daughter of the harvest." Nico spoke up before his uncle said any more,p.

"That's okay. Just take us to Cupid." His uncle spun the hoop on his finger, suddenly Bucky's body dissolved into air. Bucky ridden on many winds before but being the wind was a different thing all together and something he didn't expect. He felt out of control, his thoughts were scattered, and that there was no boundaries between his body and the rest of the world. Bucky wondered if this what the wind felt like to his father and his two other uncles, Bucky could sense the other four's presences nearby. Together, they raced over the hills, past the roman aqueducts, highways and vineyards. As they approached the mountains that Bucky saw the ruins of a roman town spread out in a valley below, crumbling walls, square foundations and cracked roads. All of the town ruins were overgrown with grass, so that it looked like a giant mossy game board. His uncle set them down in the middle of the ruins, next to a broke. Column the size of a redwood, this Bucky's body reformed and it felt worse than being the wind. For he felt like he was being wrapped in a lead overcoat, when he was reformed that he decided he is not going to comment of how uncomfortable shadow travel was. That was Emily's main way of going anywhere she needs to go to other that walking.

"Yes, mortal bodies are terribly bulky." The wind god settled on a nearby wall with his basket of fruit and spread his russet wings in the sun. "Honestly, I don't know how you stand it, day in and day out." Bucky scanned their surroundings, the town must have been hugged at one point before it become the ruins that it is now. He could make out shells of temples, bathhouses, a half buried amphitheater, and empty pedestals must have held statues at one of columns marched off to nowhere, the old city walls weaved in and out of the hillside like stone thread through a green cloth. It seems that some areas looked like they been excavated but it seems that most of the city seems abandoned. As if it been left to the elements for the last two thousand years to see what will happen to the town in that time frame.

"Welcome to Salona, Capital of Dalmatia! Birthplace of Diocletian! But before that, long before that, it was the home of Cupid." The name echoed as if there voices whispering the name through the ruins, all the sudden Bucky was scared. He understood now of where Arabella and Nico seem so scared now or part of it, this place seem crepe more that basement in Split. Bucky remembered the image of Cupid in valentine's day, somehow Bucky felt that image was not the correct image for Cupid. He remembers when he was on that glacier with Emily, Percy, Hazel and Nico, he remembers what was said after the cloak was dropped from Thanatos.

"Oh, he's not like that." Jains flinched.

"You can read my mind?" His uncle tossed his bronze hoop in the air.

"I don't need to. Everyone has the wrong impression of Cupid … until they meet him." His uncle looked at Bucky and spoke. "Consider when you saw Thanatos that you should have a better idea of what Cupid looks like." Arabella was still hanging onto him while Nico was bracing himself against a column, his legs was trembling visibly. Arabella was shaking even more than down in the basement. Jason stepped towards Nico but Bucky wasn't sure if he should move to Arabella or not.

"Hey, man …" Nico waved off Jason when he stepped closer to him. At Nico's feet the grass turned brown and wilted, the dead patch spread out wards as if a poison were seeping from the soles of his shoes. Bucky looked down as he notice a dead patch coming from behind him and he realized it was Arabella. Bucky looked up as his uncle nodded sympathetically sat Arabella and Nico.

"Ah … I don't blame you two for being nervous, Arabella Evans and Nico di Angelo. Do you know how I ended up serving Cupid?"

"I don't serve anyone. Especially not Cupid." His uncle went on as though he didn't hear Nico.

"I fell in love with a mortal named Hyacinthus. He was quite extraordinary."

"He …? Oh …" Bucky was surprised that his uncle fell in love with a man, however compared to the love life of the god's he heard about that wasn't a big surprise that his uncle fell in love with a man. His uncle raised an eyebrow at Jason.

'Yes, Jason Grace. I fell in love with a dude. Does that shock you?'

"I guess not. So … Cupid struck you with his arrow, and you fell in love." His uncle snorted.

"You make it sound so simple. Alas, love is never simple. You see, the god Apollo also liked Hyacinthus. He claimed they were just friends. I don't know. But one day I came across them together, playing a game of quoits –"

"Quoits?" Bucky was wondering what that word was as well for Emily never brought up such a word before. But it was Nico who explained and his voice was brittle.

"A game with those hoops. Like horseshoes."

"Sort of. At any rate, I was jealous. Instead of confronting them and finding out the truth, I shifted the wind and sent a heavy metal ring right at Hyacinthus's head and … well." The wind god sighed. "As Hyacinthus died, Apollo turned him into a flower, the hyacinth. I'm sure Apollo would've taken horrible vengeance on me, but Cupid offered me his protection. I'd done a terrible thing, but I'd been driven mad by love, so he spared me, on the condition that I work for him forever."

CUPID.

The name echoed through the ruins again. His uncle stood up.

"That would be my cue. Think long and hard about how you proceed, Arabella Evans and Nico di Angelo. You cannot lie to Cupid. If you two let your anger rule you … well, your fates will be even sadder than mine." Bucky was having a hard time thinking at the moment and fully understand of what his uncle was saying. His uncle nodded to Bucky. "You still have a long journey ahead of you, nephew. When you need me, just call me. For I know Cupid won't mind when a nephew of mine ask for my help and I give it. More so when the said nephew is the first child born of one of the gods since ancient times." Bucky opened his mouth to question his uncle but it was than that his uncle disappeared in a swirl of red and gold, suddenly he for the summer wind of which felt oppressive, though he was sure it would been worse if Bucky wasn't standing there. The ground. Shook, Bucky, Jason, and Nico Drew their swords while Arabella took out her bow and arrow. Than he heard a voice.

'So.' He voice rushed past his ear like a bullet, Jains turned but no one was there, Arabella looked like she was going to fall over. 'You come to claim the sceptre.' Nico stood at Jason's back while Arabella stood at Bucky's back, even with how creepy he finds Nico and Arabella as well as with being unsure of what to make of Jason host he was glad that he has their backs. Bucky spoke up.

"We have come to claim the sceptre." The voice chuckled when Bucky said that and the voice spoke up.

'So brave and been through so much, Bucky Barnes, I can see why your wife loves you.' At that Bucky felt shivers as the voice spoke. Jason called out to Cupid.

"Cupid, where are you?" The voice laughed, it didn't sound like a baby angel. It sounded more like a grown man, deep rich but also threatening like a tremor before a major earthquake.

'Where you least expect me. As Love always is.' Something slammed into Jason, whatever hit him sent him hurled across the street. Jason toppled down a set of steps and sprawled on the floor of an excavated roman basement. 'I would think you'd know better, Jason Grace. You've found true love, after all. Or do you still doubt yourself?' Bucky went down to Jason with Nico and Arabella behind him, Bucky held out his hand to Jason of accepted it and got to his feet.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just sucker punched." Cupid laughed. Bucky looked around, he has a bad feeling about this.

"Oh, did you expect me to play fair? I am the god of love. I am never fair." Bucky's senses were on high alert as well as Jason's, he felt the air rippled as two arrows materialized reaching. Towards either Arabella's or Nico's chest. Jason and Bucky intercepted the two arrows, Bucky deflected the arrow heading for Arabella while Jason did the same with the other arrow. The two arrows exploded the nearest wall, it peppered them with limestone shrapnel. They ran up the steps, Bucky pulled Arabella to one side as a gust of wind. Toppled a column that would have crashed Arabella and Nico I Bucky and Jason hadn't pulled them to one side.

"Is this guy Love or Death?"

'Ask your friends, Emily, Bucky, Frank, Hazel and Percy met my counterpart, Thanatos. We are not so different. Except Death is sometimes kinder.' The other three looked at Bucky, Bucky spoke.

"It's true, Emily knows that fact all too well by now. I meet Thanatos, I seriously thought he was Cupid when I first saw him." Nico shouted.

"We just want the sceptre! We're trying to stop Gaea. Are you on the gods' side or not?" Two more arrows hit the ground between Nico's and Arsbella's feet, the arrows were glowed white hot. They strum led back as the arrow burst into a geyser of flame.

'Love is on every side. And no one's side. Don't ask what Love can do for you.'

"Great. Now he's spouting greeting card messages." There was movement behind him, before he could react that Jason spun around, his sword was slicing through the air. Jason hit something solid for Bucky heard a thud and a grunt, Jason swung again but the god was gone. Bucky saw a trail of golden ichor shimmering on the paving stones, of which means that Jason hit Cupid.

'Very good, Jason. At least you can sense my presence. Even a glancing hit at true love is more than most heroes manage.' Bucky blinked and he saw the air shimmer for a few moments and he could see the figure of a man, but before he could take a good look that it was gone. He felt eyes on him and Cupid spoke. 'I see you can see further than Jason did, Bucky. Very true that Jason found true love but you formed that true love bond with your wife.' Jason than spoke.

"So now I get the sceptre?" Cupid laughed.

'Unfortunately, you could not wield it. Only a child of the Underworld can summon the dead legions. And only an officer of Rome can lead them.'

"But …" Jason wavered, Bucky looked at Jason. He remembers that Jason offered his position to Percy a few weeks ago before they started their journey. Jason managed to go on? "Just leave that to us, Nico can summon –" Two more arrows zipped by Bucky's and Jason's shoulders, this time they couldn't stop it in time. Arabella and Nico gasp as the arrows sank into their arms. "Nico!"

"Arabella!" Arabella and Nico stumbled, than the arrows dissolved leaving no blood and no visible wound. Arabella's face was full of rage and pain as well as Nico's face, but it was Nico who spoke.

"Enough games! Show yourself!"

"It is a costly thing looking on the true face of Love." Another column toppled, Jason and Bucky scrambled out of it's way. For once he was glad that Emily wasn't here, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know what was going on here and he has a feeling that Cupid would have more fun if Emily was here.

'My wife Psyche learned that lesson. She was brought here aeons ago, when this was the site of my palace. We met only in the dark. She was warned never to look upon me, and yet she could not stand the mystery. She feared I was a monster. One night, she lit a candle, and beheld my face as I slept.'

"Were you that ugly?" Bucky looked around, this he saw shimmering air near the amphitheater, Bucky looked at it knowing it was Cupid. The god laughed however.

'I was too handsome, I'm afraid. A mortal cannot gaze upon the true appearance of a god without suffering consequences. My mother, Aphrodite, cursed Psyche for her distrust. My poor lover was tormented, forced into exile, given horrible tasks to prove her worth. She was even sent to the Underworld on a quest to show her dedication. She earned her way back to my side, but she suffered greatly.' It seem that Jason got Cupid, for he thrust his sword in the sky and thunder shook the valley. Bucky was about ready to tell him stop when lightning blasted a crater where the voice came from, but the sir shimmer stepped aside as the lightning hit of where Cupid was. Bucky watched as the air shimmer moved forward and it hit Jason, knocking him to the ground, his sword skittered across the road. 'A good try. But Love cannot be pinned down so easily.' Cupid walked away before he spoke and he was over at a wall, the wall collapsed, Jason barely rolled aside away from the wall. Nico yelled.

"Stop it! It's me you want. Leave him alone!" Arabella followed suit.

"As well as me, so leave him alone." Bucky went over Jason and helped him up to his feet, Bucky knew that Nico and Arabella were the main targets and Cupid was testing them, or at least that is what he figures. It seems that Cupid agreed the fact that Arabella and Nico were the main targets not Bucky and Jason. When the god spoke that the god's voice was tinged with disappointment.

'Poor Nico di Angelo. Poor Arabella. Do you two know what you want, much less what I want? My beloved Psyche risked everything in the name of Love. It was the only way to atone for her lack of faith. And you – what have you two risked in my name?'

"I've been to Tartarus and back. You don't scare me." Nico and Arabella were looking around, Bucky was looking at them, wondering what will happen.

"I also been to Tartarus and back."

'I scare you very, very much. Face me. Be honest.' All around Nico and Arabella the ground shifted. The grass withered, the stones cracked as if there was something was moving in the earth beneath, trying to push it's way through.

"Give us Diocletian's sceptre, We don't have time for games." The air in front of Nico and Arabella were shimmering, suddenly Nico and Arabella were slapped sideways into a granite pedestal or pavement.

'Games? Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work – a quest that never ends. It demands everything from you – especially the truth. Only then does it yield rewards. ' Jason retrieved his sword, Bucky would admit that he wasn't sure of what to make of Aphrodite's love but Bucky prefers Aphrodite's love than Cupid's love. For Aphrodite's love was considerate kind and beautiful, everything that the love he shares with Emily was like. He could understand Aphrodite now, but Cupid seem like a thug or an enforcer.

"Nico, Arabella, what does this guy want from you?"

'Tell him, Nico di Angelo. Tell him you are a coward, afraid of yourself and your feelings. Tell him the real reason you ran from Camp Half-Blood, and why you are always alone. Tell him, Arabella of what you been refusing to deny for all this years since you were eleven and what you refuse to say for all this time. Of where it was mostly physical but you haven't opened or revealed your feelings.' Arabella was shaking with fear, however Nico let loose a guttural scream and the ground at his feet split open. Skeletons crawled forth, dead Romans with missing hands and caved in skulls, cracked ribs and jaws unhinged. Some were dressed in the remnants of togas while others have glinting pieces of armor hanging off their chest.

Bucky wish that Emily was here, he could see of what she would be like at the moment, she would be one of two things. She would be standing in front of Cupid or at least in front of Nico and Arabella trying to face Cupid. She would have radiate hope with her sword in her hands ready to defend her siblings from Cupid. She would not show any fear and out in a brave face, but he was sure that Emily would be worried and maybe scared. Or she would be radiated death, fear and respect, the same aura of when she face the Romans in certain matters but she would respect at least in front of the Romans. For Emily always held herself up like a warrior, something that the Romans respected greatly more in the times of war than any other time. Than Cupid started to taunted them.

'Will you hide among the dead, as you always do?' Waves of darkness rolled of the children off of the children of Hades. When they hit Bucky that he almost lost consciousness, for he was overwhelmed by hatred, fear and shame. He saw images through his mind, he saw Nico and Bianca, or he assume it was Bianca, on a snowy cliff in Maine. Percy was protecting them from a manticore, later Percy took Nico by the arm and promise to keep his sister safe. Than Percy return to tell Nico of what happen and that Bianca was dead. Than he saw other images, a baby crawling towards a woman of who stopped and started to cry, this a girl no more than eleven at the too of the stairs as a blond hair boy gets throw back by darkness and shadows. There were other images eh saw of Arabella's and Nico's life, every the first time they meet. When the I ages left that Bucky was stun and unable to move or speak. Nico's Romans skeletons surged forward and grappled with the air shimmer, the god struggled and fling the dead aside. He was breaking odd ribs and skulls, the skeletons kept coming though, pinning the god's arms down or trying to at any rate.

'Interesting! Do you have the strength, after all?'

"I left Camp Half-Blood because of love, Annabeth … she –" Cupid smashed another skeleton.

'Still hiding, You do not have the strength.'

"Nico, Arabella, it's okay. I get it." Bucky knew that Jason didn't get it all, Bucky knew that Nico did leave camp because of love, but that love wasn't for Annabeth, it was for Percy. Not only that but from the images that he saw with Arabella that she loves the one red hair twin. Nico and Arabella looked over at them, there was pain and misery washing over their faces, Arabella only has misery in her face. But Nico's pain and misery were much worse than Arabella's misery.

"No, you don't. There's no way you can understand."

'And so you run away again. From your friends, from yourself.'

"I don't have friends! I left Camp Half-Blood because I don't belong! I'll never belong!" The skeletons have Cupid pinned now but the air shimmer was laughing so cruelly that Bucky wanted to break every bone in his body.

"Leave him alone, Cupid, This isn't …" Bucky looked over at Jason she his voice failed, Bucky figured that Jason realized that this was Cupid's business. But Jason also seem to realize of who Nico was really in love. When Nico spoke that it was like broken glass.

"I – I wasn't in love with Annabeth."

"You were jealous of her. That's why you didn't want to be around her. Especially why you didn't want to be around … him. It makes total sense." All the fight and denial seem to go out of Nico at once, the darkness subsided and the roman dead collapsed into bones before crumpled to dust.

"I hated myself, I hated Percy Jackson." Finally Cupid became visible, a lean muscular young man about his own age with snowy white wings, straight black hair, a simple white frock and jeans. The bow and and quiver slung over his shoulders were not the toys that one thinks that Cupid has but weapons of war. His eyes eyes were as red as blood, as if every valentine in the world was squeezed dry and distiller into one poisonous mixture. His face was handsome but also harsh, it was difficult to look like a spotlight. Cupid was watching Nico with satisfaction as if he identified the exact spot for his next arrow to make a clean kill. Nico spat at Cupid and he was glaring at Cupid

"I had a crush on Percy. That's the truth. That's the big secret. Happy now?" It was than that Arabella spoke up, her voice sounded like shattered glass.

"I had a crush on Fred since I meet him on the train to Hogwarts." Honestly, Bucky felt that this was worse for Nico than it was for Arabella, there was not many who would be able to do what Nico and Arabella. It seems like for the first time that Cupid's gaze seem sympathetic, not only that but his voice sounded smaller and more human.

"Oh, I wouldn't say Love always makes you happy. Sometimes it makes you incredibly sad. But at least you've faced it now. That's the only way to conquer me." Cupid than turned and looked at Bucky. "There is something you should keep in mind, Bucky Barnes, that there is still one thing ahead of you and it would be one of your biggest challenges yet." Than Cupid dissolved into the wind, on the ground of where he had stood lay an ivory staff three feet long, topped with a dark globe of polished marble about the size of a baseball nestled on the back of three roman eagles, the sceptre of Diocletian. Bucky was confused of what Cupid meant of what he meant, but he decided to toss it aside for now. Arabella got up as Nico knelt and picked it up before he regarded Jason and Bucky, it was almost like he was waiting for an attack.

"If the others found out –"

"If the others found out, you'd have that many more people to back you up and to unleash the fury of the gods on anybody who gives you trouble." Nico scowled, Bucky could still feel the resentment and anger rippling off of Nico. "But it's your call. Your decision to share or not. I can only tell you –"

"I don't feel that way any more, I mean … I gave up on Percy. I was young and impressionable, and I – I don't …" Nico's voice cracked, Arabella seem to be unable to speak or she decided not to say anything because of what happen to Nico. Bucky could understood all too well of how Nico must of felt, more so back in the 1940s.

"Nico, I've seen a lot of brave things. But what you just did? That was maybe the bravest." Nico looked at Jason uncertainly. Bucky went over Arabella and helped her up before she hugged him, Bucky hugged Arabella back.

"We should get back to the ship."

"Yeah. I can fly us –"

"No, This time we're shadow-travelling. I've had enough of the winds for a while." Arabella just nodded before she grasp hold of Bucky's hand before all four of them shadow travel back to the ship.

Emily's pov

Bob slung Percy over his shoulder like a bag of sports equipment while small Bob and Sarah curled up on Percy's back and purred. Bob lumbered along at a fast pace even for a Titan, it was difficult to keep up with Bob, more so with the fact that Tartarus was killing them slowly. Or that is what it seems like to Emily, Emily's lung rattled and her skin started to blister again, so that she may need another drink from he river Phlegethon but they left the river behind long ago. She wasn't sure if her healing abilities would be much good down here or not, she didn't want to try the healing abilities out. Otherwise Bob may have to carry Emily as well, that was the last thing that was needed at the moment for anyone, Emily's body was sore and battered that she was forgetting what it was like not to be in pain. Annabeth spoke up.

"How much longer?"

"Almost too long. But maybe not." The landscape changed again, they were still going downhill of which should made traveling easier. But the ground sloped at the wrong angle, for it was to steep to jog and too treacherous to let her guard down even for a moment. The surface was either loose gravel or at times patches of slime, at one point Annabeth stepped around random bristles sharp enough to I pale her foot and clusters of not rocks exactly. There were more like warts or something the size of watermelons. It was like they were following Bob down the length of Tartartus's large intestine. The air got thicker and there was a stank of sewage, the darkness wasn't quite as intense as before. Emily looked at Percy of who was flopping around causing both kittens to readjust their nest in the small of his back, at times Percy would groan. Suddenly Bob stopped.

"Look." Ahead in the glom, the terrain leveled out into a black swamp, sulphur yellow mist hung in the air. Even without sunlight that there actual plants, real and true plants for Emily could feel the the life of the plants reaching to her. She felt new energy enter her, she looked at Steve of who also looked renewed as well, Emily looked back at the plants. There was clumps of reeds, scrawny leafless trees, and a few sickly looking flowers blooming in the muck. There was mossy trails wound between bubbling tar pits, directly in front of Emily, sinking into the bog were footprints that were the size of trash can lids with long pointed toes. Emily knew what made those footsteps, however Annabeth best her to the punch.

"Drakon?" Bob grinned at them

"Yes. That is good!"

"Uh … why?"

"Because we are close." Bob marched into the swamp, Emily looked at Steve, he shrugged, showing her that this was her call. Than she looked at Annabeth of who looked like that she wanted to scream, Emily touched Annabeth's shoulder and gestured to follow Bob. Emily could only think of what must be going through Annabeth's mind at the moment. Emily knows she can trust Bob after knowing him as Bob for about a year and half and that he was still proving himself to be trusted while they were down there. Emily followed Bob quickly as well as Steve and Annabeth. The terrain forced Bob to go more slowly than he has been so they caught up easily enough. Percy was still muttering deliriously and Emily could feel his body hear from here and it was rather hot. Several times he mumbled Annabeth, the two kittens just purred and snuggled up more.

Finally the yellow mist parted, revealing a muddy clearing like an island in the muck, the ground was dotted with stunted trees and wart. Ounces. In the center of the island looked a large do ed hut that was covered with curtains of scaly reptile skin. Flanking the entrance were two torches made from colossal femur bones burned bright yellow. Emily couldn't believe that there was fire down here in Tartarus and once more it was real fire like the plants were real. For she could feel the flames from here, she reach out with her powers to control the fire. However noticed the drakon skull about fifty yards into the clearing about halfway to the hut. A massive oak tree jutted from the ground at a forty five degree angle, the jaws of a drakon skull was encircling the trunk as if the tree was the tongue of the dead monster.

"Yes, This is very good." Emily was about ready to say something when Sarah and Small Bob arched their backs and hissed, behind them came a mighty roar that echoed through the swamp. A sound that Emily heard in the battle of Manhattan, one that she didn't want to hear after that battle. Emily turned and saw the drakon charging towards them. It's hide was dappled green and yellow, like it the sunlight through a forest canopy, it's eyes were the same shade as Percy's green eyes. The drakon was easily as long as a subway train, it's massive talons dug into the mud as it pulled itself forward. The drakon hissed, spitting jets of green poison that smokey on the mossy ground before setting tar pits on fire. As a result that smells were the filling the air, scents of fresh pine and ginger, the drakon was wingless as usual.

"Bob, what are we facing here?"

"Maeonian drakon. From Maeonia."

"Any way we can kill it?"

"Us? No." The drakon roared as if the make the point that they couldn't defeat it, it filled the air with more pine ginger poison.

"Get Percy to safety, I'll distract it." Emily was about ready to tell her that was a bad idea for his was not her fight to face. She may never been here before but she knew who this hut belongs to and knew that only one person was to defeat for all time.

"You don't have to, Any minute –"

"ROOOOOAAAR!" Emily turned as the giant emerged from his hut. He was about twenty feet tall, normal giant height, with a humanoid upper body and scaly reptilian legs. The giant has no weapons at all, instead of armor, he wore only a shirt stitched together from sheep hides and green spotted leather. His skin was cheery red, his beard and hair was the color of iron rust, braided with tufts of grass, leaves and swamp flowers. The giant shouted in challenge, but he wasn't looking at them but at the drakon. Emily moved out of the way as the go at stormed towards the drakon. They clashed like some weird Christmas combat scene, mostly because of the color of the giant and drakon. The drakon spewed poison and the giant lunged to one side before he grabbed the oak tree and pulled it from the ground, roots and all. The old skull crumbled to dust as the giant hefted the tree like a baseball bat. The drakon's trail lashed around the giant's waist, dragging the giant closer to it's gnashing teeth. As soon as the tints was in range that he shoved the tree straight down the throat of the monster.

Emily wanted t throw up but couldn't since there wasn't much to grow up in the first place. The tree pierced the drakon's gullet and implied it on the ground, the roots began to move on their own accord. Steve was looking at Emily, Emily shook her head showing that she wasn't doing anything with the tree. The roots were digging deeper as they touched the earth, anchoring the oak until it looked like it stood on that spot for centuries. The drakon shook and thrashed, but it was pinned fast, the giant brought his fist down on the drakon's neck. With a crack the monster went limp, Emily put her face to Steve's arm and tried to not to throw up, being pregnant didn't help very much since it felt like the throwing up was increased.

"Good one." The two kittens purred in agreement when Bob said that, Emily wanted to ask if Bob was notes. Emily looked up as the giant kicked at the drakon's remains after examining them.

"No good bones, I wanted a new walking stick. Hmpf. Some good skin for the outhouse, though." The giant ripped some soft hide from the drakon's frills before the giant tucked it in his belt.

"Uh … Bob, do you want to introduce us?" Bob nodded to the three of them in turn.

"Steve ... Rachel ... Annabeth … " Than Bob patted Percy's legs. "This is Percy." Emily figured that Bob thought she meant introducing the giant to the four of them not introducing them to the giant.

"I meant the giant. You promised he could help." The giant glanced over from his work, his eyes narrows under his busy red brows.

"Promise? A big thing, a promise. Why would Bob promise my help?" Bon shifted his weight, as Emily looked between Bob and the giant that she realized that Bob looked like a runt and much less scary than if Bob was by himself.

"Damasen is a good giant. He is peaceful. He can cure poisons." Emily watched Da ashen as he was ripping chunks of bloody meat from the drakon carcass with his bare hands. Emily pitted the giant, she knows who he was and why he was down here, Damasen was the anti Ares. He looked big and scary, as well doesn't look very peaceful at the moment, but she knows he was gentle and peaceful.

"Peaceful. Yes, I can see that." Damasen stood up straight and studied Annabeth.

"Good meat for dinner. Come inside. We will have stew. Then we will see about this promise." They followed the tints inside the hut, the hut was as bit as a planetarium and constructed of bones, mud and drakon skin. In the center blazed a bonfire made of pitch and bone, but her the smoke was white and odorless, rising through the hole in the middle of the ceiling. The floor was covered with dry marsh grass and grey wool rugs. At one end lay a massive bed of sheepskins and drakon leather, at the other end were freestanding racks were hung with drying plants, cures leather and what looked like strips of drakon jerky. The whole place smelled of stew, smoke, basil and thyme, the smell reminded her of the camp kitchen or whenever she cooks in the kitchen. Emily did notice the flock of sheep huddled in a pen at the back of the hut, Emily wondered of how sheep could live down here. Bob placed Percy in the it at's bed of where he nearly disappeared in the wool and leather. Small Bob and Sarah hopped off of Percy before kneading the blankets, they were purring so strongly that the bed rattled like a thousand finger massage. Emily followed Damasen over to the bonfire and watched as he tossed the mean into the hanging pot that seem to be made from an old monster skull. Emily was about ready to say something but Annabeth best her to it.

"My friend is dying. Can you cure him or not?" As she spoke that Annabeth and Steve marched up to Damasene of where the giant was standing. Damasen looked down at Annabeth, glowering under his bushy red eyebrows. Damasen was unsettling Emily in a way with the what was coming from him. For he was radiated sorrow and bitterness, as if he was wrapped up in his own misery, emiltmwas sure that his life down here was not easy.

"I don't hear words like those in Tartarus, Friend. Promise." Annabeth crossed her arms.

"How about gorgon's blood? Can you cure that, or did Bob overstate your talents?" Emily looked at Annabeth as if she was crazy, however they are in Tartarus and there have been crazier things since they entered the pit. Damasen was scowling at Annabeth.

"You question my talents? A half-dead mortal straggles into my swamp and questions my talents?"

"Yep."

"Hmph." Damasen handed Bob the ladle. "Stir." As Bob tended the stew that Damasen was carefully taking things from his dying racks. He was plucking various leaves and roots, he popped a fistful of plant material into his mouth before chewing it up than spat it into a clump of wool. "Cup of broth." Bob ladled some stew juice into a hollow gourd before handed it to Damasen of who dunked the chewed up gunk ball and stirred it with his finger. "Gorgon's blood. Hardly a challenge for my talents." He lumbered to the bedside and propped Percy up with one hand. Small Bob and Sarah sniffed the broth and hissed, they scratched the sheets with their paws like they wanted bury it.

"You're going to feed him that?" Damasen glared at Annabeth.

"Who is the healer here? You?" Emily shook her head as Annabeth closed her mouth, Emily watched as the giant made Percy sip the broth. Damasen was handled period with surprising gentleness murmuring words of encouragement that Emily couldn't hear. With each sip that Percy's color improved, he drained the cup and his eyes fluttered open. He looked around with a dazed expression before he spotted Annabeth and gave her a drunken grin.

"Feel great." His eyes rolled up in his head before he fell back in the bed and started to snore.

"A few hours of sleep. He'll be good as new." Annabeth sobbed with relief.m

"Thank you." Damasen stars at her mournfully.

"Oh, don't thank me. You're still doomed. And I require payment for my services."

"Uh … what sort of payment?" His eyes glittered.

"A story. It gets boring in Tartarus. You can tell me your story while we eat, eh? Before you tell me your story that I have a repayment to pay back. For there were a couple of men that came here not to long ago and have been staying here after they told me their story. When they finished the story that I sense that there was a couple of people that they hoped to see again were close by but I also senses the drakon as well." Damasen lowered his head to below the bed and spoke. "You two can come out now." Two men crawled out from under the huge bed, Emily took a sharp intake of breath when she saw the two men and she could hear Steve do the same thing. There was no mistake of who this two men were, it was Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine. Emily and Steve were glad to see both of them, while Annabeth was glad to see Colonel Phillips. After the greetings that they told Damasen of their lives as well as of what happen to Bob. Annabeth started first and she just reached to the part about Bob,

"Percy was trying to do something good. He didn't know Hades would be such a creep."

"Annabeth, my father was a creep at first when Bob case there, but I helped him realized that Bob wasn't Iapetus anymore that he become nicer and he started to treat Bob better. I watched Hasdes change his ways during that time but it was a slowl thing. Right Bob?"

"Hades become nicer during while Bob was there. Bob's life improved but Bob jumped in to help Rachel for Rachel helped Bob." When Bon said that, that Dr, Erskine looked confused.

"Who is Rachel?"

"That would be me. After the war in Europe ended that Hadees adopted me and when that happened I gained a second appearance. So Hades and myself faked my death and after that I used a second name for there things I needed to do when I was above and it was things that I didn't need people getting attracted to me for the time, so I used a second name, Rachel Blackthrone. When Bob was there that he saw me with both appearance and knew that it was me." Bob washed his bowl with his squirt bottle and rag whirl Damasen made a rolling gesture with his spoon.

"Continue your story, Annabeth Chase." Annabeth explained their quest on the Argo II, she got to the part about Gaea that she faltered.

"She's, um … she's your mom, right?" Damasen scraped his bowl, Emily looked at Damasen.

"Yes. And Tartarus is my father." He gestured around the hut. "As you can see, I was a disappointment to my parents. They expected … more from me." It was hard to think of what it must be like for Damasen to be down here of where he can't get away from his father.

"So … You don't mind us fighting your mom?" Damasen snorted like a bull.

"Best of luck. At present, it's my father you should worry about. With him opposing you, you have no chance to survive." Emily was glad that she finished her stew already, Annabeth put her bowl on he floor, Small Bob and Sarah came over to check it out.

"Opposing us how?" Damasen crackled a drakon bone and used a splinted as a toothpick,

"All of this. All that you see is the body of Tartarus, or at least one manifestation of it. He knows you are here. He tries to thwart your progress at every step. My brethren hunt you. It is remarkable you have lived this long, even with the help of Iapetus." Bob scowled when he heard his old name.

"The defeated ones hunt us, yes. They will be close behind now." Damasen spat out his toothpick.

"I can obscure your path for a while, long enough for you to rest. I have power in this swamp. But eventually they will catch you."

"My friends must reach the Doors of Death. That is the way out."

"Impossible. The Doors are too well guarded." Annabeth sat forward, Emily put her hand over her stomach, wondering if she ever get out of this place along with her child.

"But you know where they are?"

"Of course. All of Tartarus flows down to one place: his heart. The Doors of Death are there. But you cannot make it there alive with only Iapetus."

"Then come with us. Help us."

"HA!" Emily jumped, she looked at Percy of who was muttered deliriously in his sleep. "Ha, ha, ha." Emily out her he as in her hands before she spoke.

"That nearly freaked me out." Colonel Phillips chuckled when Emily said that.

"No kidding, too bad Bucky isn't here. You would not heard the end of that."

"I will make a note of not to tell him that." When Emily said that, that colonel Phillips spat out some of the stew and it hit the table, he looked at Emily surprised. Emily was close of bursting into laughter so was Steve for a smile was on Steve's face as well as Emily's.

"Bucky's alive?"

"Well, yeah."

"Was he reborn?" Emily laughed when Colonel Phillips said that.

"He never died in the first place."

"What happened to him?"

"You don't want to know, Bucky hates thinking about that and I can't blame him." Colonel Phillips was about ready say something but Damasen spoke.

"Child of Athena, I am not your friend. I helped mortals once, and you see where it got me."

"You helped mortals? I – I don't understand."

"Bad story. Good giants have bad stories. Damasen was created to oppose Ares." Emily knew the story since she spoke with the human shepherd that was killed by the Maeonian drakon. The human shepherd felt sorry for his giant friend and hoped to talk to him someday.

"Yes. Like all my brethren, I was born to answer a certain god. My foe was Ares. But Ares was the god of war. And so when I was born –"

"You were his opposite, You were peaceful."

"Peaceful for a giant, at least. I wandered the fields of Maeonia, in the land you now call Turkey. I tended my sheep and collected my herbs. It was a good life. But I would not fight the gods. My mother and father cursed me for that. The final insult: one day the Maeonian drakon killed a human shepherd, a friend of mine, so I hunted the creature down and slew it, thrusting a tree straight through its mouth. I used the power of the earth to regrow the tree's roots, planting the drakon firmly in the ground. I made sure it would terrorize mortals no more. That was a deed Gaia could not forgive."

"Because you helped someone?" Damasen looked ashamed.

"Yes. Gaea opened the earth, and I was consumed, exiled here in the belly of my father Tartarus, where all the useless flotsam collects – all the bits of creation he does not care for." The giant plucked a flower out of his hair and regarded it absently. "They let me live, tending my sheep, collecting my herbs, so I might know the uselessness of the life I chose. Every day – or what passes for day in this lightless place – the Maeonian drakon re-forms and attacks me. Killing it is my endless task." Emily got up and went over to Damasen and put an hand over his much bigger one and he looked down at her.

"Damasen, I spoke with that human shepherd and he is in fine and is happy in Elysium. He was glad of what you did, but he did being up a he wished he could see and talk to you again." Damasen smiled lightly.

"That is good news at least. If you managed to get out of here, tell I am glad that he is happy now." Annabeth was gazing around the hut, Emily looked around, wondering of how many years that Damasen been here. Exiled here to slay the same drakon day in and day out, thar he would collect it's bone, hide and meat. Knowing that it will attack the next day, Emily couldn't imagine of how Damasen must feel, for this was utterly cruel, no it was beyond cruel. Than Annabeth blurted out.

"Break the curse. Come with us." Damasen chuckled sourly.

"As simple as that. Don't you think I have tried to leave this place? It is impossible. No matter which direction I travel, I end up here again. The swamp is the only thing I know – the only destination I can imagine. No, little demigod. My curse has overtaken me. I have no hope left."

"No hope." Emily looked at Bob when he echoed Damasen.

"There must be a way." The expression on Damsen was sad, it reminded her a bit of when Bucky looked at her after she learned of what happen to him. His expression was mixed with some many emotions that it was hard to see which emotions was which. That he seem so lost and utterly helpless at the moment, trying to figure himself out and what he was.

"Bob has a plan to reach the Doors of Death. He said we could hide in some sort of Death Mist." Emily jerked slightly when Annabeth said that.

"Death Mist?" Damasen scowled at Bob. "You would take them to Akhlys?"

"It is the only way."

"You will die, Painfully. In darkness. Akhlys trusts no one and helps no one." Bob looked like he wanted to argue but he pressed his lips together and remained silent.

"Is there another way?"

"No. The Death Mist … that is the best plan. Unfortunately, it is a terrible plan." Emily knew that they were running on luck ever since they got in Tartarus just like Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine have been.

"But isn't it worth trying? You could return to the mortal world. You could see the sun again." Looking at Damasen's eyes made Emily feel awful, she forced herself to look away. His eyes were like the sockets of the drakon's skull, dark, hollow, devoid of hope. Emily could feel the hopeless coming from Damasen. Damasen rose to his full height, a massive red warrior in sheepskin and drakon leather with dried flowers and herbs in his hair. It was not difficult to see how he was the anti ares, for ares was the worst god, blustery and violent. Damasen was the best giant, kind and helpful, something that he was cursed for to an eternal torment, it was so unfair.

"Get some sleep, I will prepare supplies for your journey. I am sorry, but I cannot do more." Annabeth wanted to argue, but Emily knows of how tired Annabeth must feel at the moment for Emily felt just as tired. Emily knows that they needed some rest after not being able to rest since the shrine before that darkness.

"Maybe a little sleep." Bob scooped up Steve and Annabeth first and set them down next to Percy as Bon did that, that Damasen looked down at her and spoke.

"I am surprised that you made it this in your state. But I can see why after seeing you. I know I lost so much hope over the years I been down here. But you gave me back some hope but it is still far too little to even have the hope to leave this place. But I am sure of one thing, I know that my mother wants everyone to feel hopeless, but you are the only one you can stop her on that end."

"Damasen, I am not Elpis. I am the champion of Hestia. I can use hope and hand out hope. But I am not as strong with it as Elpis." Damasen smiled lightly as if he knew something that she didn't, but it was not something evil. It was almost like he could see something that she couldn't.

"Daughter of Demeter and Hades, you have a long path, that is clear and your hardships are far from over. But there is more to you this you realize. But it will become clear on the day of Hope of what that is." Suddenly, Bob scooped Emily, Dr. Erskine and Colonel Phillips and place them on their bed. Emily went next to Steve and feel asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

Emily woke up, for a change, she didn't have a dream of was odd but nice since she had no nightmares. Emily could feel Sarah on her stomach as she lay there looking at the ceiling that was above her. Dr. Erskine and Colonel Phillips were sleeping nearby as well as Steve and Percy, but Annabeth was awake for she has her eyes open, she point her finger to her lips and nodded to the voices.

"You haven't told them."

"No, they are already scared." The giant grumbled.

"They should be. And if you cannot guide them past Night?" Emily felt panicked, she figured that she would face Night at some point but knowing that she has to go through night in order to get to the doors was scary.

"I have to."

"Why? What have the demigods given you? They have erased your old self, everything you were. Titans and giants … we are meant to be the foes of the gods and their children. Are we not?"

"Then why did you heal the boy?" Damasen exhaled.

"I have been wondering that myself. Perhaps because the girl goaded me, or perhaps … I find these two demigods intriguing. They are resilient to have made it so far. That is admirable. Still, how can we help them any further? It is not our fate." When Bob spoke next that she could tell that he was uncomfortable.

"Perhaps. But … do you like our fate?"

"What a question. Does anyone like his fate?"

"I liked being Bob. Before I started to remember …"

"Huh." There was some sort of shuffling sound, as if Damasen was stuffing a leather bag.

"Damasen, do you remember the sun?" The shuffling stopped, Emily heard the giant exhale through his nostrils. Emily never thought much about the sun till she came down here, not seeing the sun, stars, the moon or Bucky scared her greatly. Just to be in endless darkness and underground was scary, she thought at first living in the underworld part time was scary but Tartarus was so much worse.

"Yes. It was yellow. When it touched the horizon, it turned the sky beautiful colours."

"I miss the sun. The stars, too. I would like to say hello to the stars again."

"Stars …" Damasen said the word in such a way that it broke her heart, it was like if he forget what the stars were. "Yes. They made silver patterns in the night sky." Damasen threw something to the floor with a thump. "Bah. This is useless talk. We cannot –" in the distance the Maeonian drakon roared. Percy and the others sat bolt upright.

"What? What – where – what?"

"It's okay." Annabeth took Percy's arm. Emily watched Percy as he started to register that they were in a giant's bed with two skeleton cats. Percy looked more confused than ever.

"That noise … where are we?"

"How much do you remember?" Percy was frowning, he seem alert. All of his wounds vanished, expect for his tattered clothes and a few layers of dirt and grime. Besides that, it looked like he never fell down here in the first place, all six of them looked like they came down here in the first place. Though it was still a mystery of how Dr, Erskine and Colonel Phillips came down here in the first place.

"I – the demon grandmothers – and then … not much." Damasen was looking over the bed.

"There is no time, little mortals. The drakon is returning. I fear its roar will draw the others – my brethren, hunting you. They will be here within minutes."

"What will you tell them when they get here?" Damasen's mouth twitched.

"What is there to tell? Nothing of significance, as long as you are gone." Damasen tossed them six drakon leather satchels. "Clothes, food, drink." Bob was wearing a similar but larger pack, Bon was leaning on his broom gazing at Annabeth and Emily. As Emily looked back at Bob that a thought hit her and slapped her in her face, to seem to hit Annabeth as well.

"The Prophecy of Eight." The others were climbing out of the bed and were shouldering their packs onto their shoulders. Percy frowned at Annabeth as Emily got off the bed and out her pack on.

"What about it?" Annabeth grabbed Damasen's hand of which startled the giant, his brows furrowed.

"You have to come with us. The prophecy says foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. I thought it meant Romans and Greeks, but that's not it. The line means us – demigods, a Titan, a giant. We need you to close the Doors!" The drakon roared but it was closer this time, Damasen pulled his hand away.

"No, child. My curse is here. I cannot escape it."

"Yes, you can. Don't fight the drakon. Figure out a way to break the cycle! Find another fate." Damasen shook his head.

"Even if I could, I cannot leave this swamp. It is the only destination I can picture." Emily spoke.

"No, Damasen it is not the only destination. You said that I gave you hope even though it was a small amount. Use that hope and get out of your curse." Damasen was about ready to say something but Steve spoke.

"Listen to her, it's our choices that decide our fate, not our parents and whatever they decide." Annabeth than spoke up before Damasen cousin say another."

"There is another destination. Look at me! Remember my face. When you're ready, come find me. We'll take you to the mortal world with us. You can see the sunlight and stars." The ground. Shook, the drakon was close now, stomping through hr marsh blasting trees and moss with it's poison spray. Further away that she could hear the giant Polbotes, urging his followers forward.

"THE SEA GOD'S SON! HE IS CLOSE!"

"Annabeth, that's our cue to leave." Damasen took a couple of things from his belt one he gave to Emily of which was a bottle of clear liquid. He handed the other thing to Annabeth of which was a sword, a blade of dragon none honed to a deadly edge with a simple grip of leather.

'One last gift for the child of Athena and the child of Demeter. Drink it soon, daughter of Demeter, for it will protect your child for as long as it is in you as long as you get out here. I cannot have you walking to your death unarmed. Now, go! Before it is too late." Emily wanted to sob, but she couldn't not now. Emily took the bottle and drank it, when she drank it that she felt something wrap itself around the child in her protecting it from the efforts and Tartarus or anything that will try to kill Emily and the child. Emily knew that Damasen was meant to come with them, just like Annabeth and Steve knew. She knew Steve caught on when Annabeth told Damasen to come with them but Damasen turned away from them. Sarah climbed onto her shoulders while Small Bob climbed onto Bob's shoulders, Emily noticed that Colonel Phillips picked up another bag as Damasen turned away from them.

"We must leave."

"He's right, Annabeth." They ran for the entrance, Emily didn't look back as she followed Bob and the others. She could hear Damasen behind them shouting his battle cry at the advancing drakon. His voice was cracking with despair as he faced his old enemy yet again, it broke Emily as she heard Damasen cry his battle cry. She felt like it was that battle in the Helicarrier when she tried to stop the fighting between Steve and Bucky.

Bucky's pov

Bucky didn't know the weather over the Mediterranean as well as other parts but he was sure that it wasn't suppose to be freezing in July. He cold didn't bother him to much but to seem to bother the rest of the crew, that was mainly because he was a fire user, though it seem to bother Leo. Bucky guessed that might be because of the fact he wasn't a child of Notus, like Bucky was. It been two days since split, there were grey clouds that swallowed the sky and the waves were choppy, cold drizzle sprayed across the deck of which formed ice on the rails and the ropes. Since than Arabella case out a little more often and only spoke to Bucky a little of which was an improvement since Emily feel into Tartarus. It seems that Bucky and Arabella were starting to get closer to each other, he was glad of that at least. At the moment, Bucky was standing close to Nico, Piper, Leo and Jason. Nico was hefting the ancient staff.

"It's the sceptre, it has to be." Bucky was a bit nervous around Nico but he was more calm around Nico after what happened two days ago but Jason, Bucky, Arabella or Nico spoke of what happened in split to anyone. Not unless if Arabella and Nico were willing to talk about what happened there and he wasn't going to make them. It was possible that the sceptre might have cause the weather change for the black orb on top seem to leach the color right out of the air. The golden eagles seem to glinted coldly, the sceptre supposedly control the dead and it did give off bad vines that was for sure. Gleeson took one look at the thing before he turned pale and announced he was going to his room to console himself with chuck Norris videos. Though Bucky felt he was doing something entirely than what he said he was going to do. But somehow Bucky felt she to was something else that was causing the ice storm, something much more worse.

"We can't talk up here. Let's postpone the meeting." They gathered on the quarterdeck to discuss strategy as they got closer to Epirus, Bucky wasn't sure of it was a good place to be, wind swept frost across the deck and the sea was churning beneath them. Bucky didn't mind the waves all that much but he could feel something was going to happen and soon. Hazel gagged and pointed down below.

"Need to –"

"Yeah, go." Nico kissed Hazel's cheek, of which was surprising when it comes to Nico for Nico hates physical contact or at least from what Bucky could figure out. Nico hardly made gestures of affection, even to any of his sisters, including Emily but to seem that Nico doesn't mind it with Emily as much he does with anyone else. Though when Nico kissed Hazel that he seem like he was saying goodbye to Hazel in a sense.

"I'll walk you down." Frank put his arm around Hazel's waist before helped her to the stairs. Bucky hoped that Hazel would be okay, Bucky knew that Aubrey, Lauren, Piper, Jennifer, and Hazel been having good talks with each other. He was sure that they shared stories and complained about the gross things guys do, whatever that was. He knows that Emily and Lauren done that since before Emily and Bucky were marred and he was sure they still do that now. But he was unsure of what the two of them talk about when they task about Bucky and Steve, there was a chance that they could talk about their time at camp and what they did there. Nico brushed some ice from his hair before frowning at the sceptre.

"I should put this thing away. If it's really causing the weather, maybe taking it below deck will help …"

"Sure." Nico glanced at Piper and Leo as if he was worried of what they may say when he was gone. Bucky was worried as Nico went down below, he wanted to comfort Nico but he wasn't sure of how to comfort Nico. He was sure that Emily would know was way to comfort Nico, he was still unsure of how to comfort Arabella but just talking with her seem to make her feel more comfortable at least. It was pretty much Bucky, Leo, Jason and Piper that were still there, everyone else was down below. Leo pulled a screwdriver from his belt.

"So much for the big team meeting. Looks like it's just us again." Bucky looked at the three of them, he remembers when he first meet them in their quest to save Hers about six or seven months ago. Piper changed, she seem more confident in what she does, Leo didn't change much expect he was more comfortable in his role as a child of Hephaestus and knows how to use his nervous now since he was always tinkering with things on the ship. Jason changed the most, he was thinner, taller and more careworn, his hair grew longer and shaggier. Jason seem to be more Greek than a Roman now, for when Bucky first meet him just before the battle of Manhattan that Jason seem too roman but there seem to be hints to a Greek in him. Now it seems that Jason was gone and he was more like a Greek version of himself instead of being the normal roman.

Bucky heard what mostly everyone said about Jason, that he was too perfect, too straitlaced. But that was no longer true now, Bucky knows that for a fact, yes at once point that Jason seem too perfect end too straitlaced and too serious. Sure Steve seem too serious as times and was everything a leader should be. But Steve was able to have fun when he wanted to and Emily helps Steve to relax when they were not on missions during the war. Bucky knew that Steve was not perfect, no one ever comment that Steve was too perfect or straitlaced for Steve made comments about not knowing certain things that he should know by now or he would allow his sense to humor to show. Besides Steve seem to let it go by the way he acts and talks that he knows he was not a perfect man or the perfect soldier but a good man and a leader who tries to do the right thing but knew that at times he would to have to do something that he didn't want to do in order to make sure the freedom was still there. Bucky looked into the cold rain, he would give anything to go Emily's chain or World War II to be with Emily and Steve again. Jason squeezed Piper's shoulder.

"Hey, it'll be fine. We're close to Epirus now. Another day or so, if Nico's directions are right." Leo was tinkering with his sphere, tapping and nudging one of the jewels on it's surface, he still didn't like that thing.

"Yep. By tomorrow morning, we'll reach the western coast of Greece. Then another hour inland, and bang – House of Hades! I'ma get me the T-shirt!"

"Yay." Bucky was sure Piper wasn't thrilled about going to the house of Hades, neither was he. But he wanted to see Emily again as well as Steve, he knows Emily was still alive down there or last he knew at any rate. It would take one more day, one more day till he reaches there and Emily would back in his arms where she belongs.

"Guys, I've been thinking about the Prophecy of eight." Leo managed to look away from he was doing, Bucky looked at Piper when she brought up the prophecy.

"What about it? Like … good stuff, I hope?" Piper readjusted the cornucopia's shoulder strap, Emily gave it to Piper just before the ship fired at the parking lot of which caused four members to go to Tartarus.

"In Katoptris, I keep seeing that giant Clytius – the guy who's wrapped in shadows. I know his weakness is fire, but in my visions he snuffs out flames wherever he goes. Any kind of light just gets sucked into his cloud of darkness."

"Sounds like Nico. You think they're related?" Bucky was about ready to respond but Jason scowled and best Bucky to the punch.

"Hey, man, cut Nico some slack. So, Piper, what about this giant? What are you thinking?" Bucky looked at Piper and Leo as they exchanged quizzical looks, of they only knew half of it. Bucky knew it was unfair with the rumors that spread around about Nico and Arabella but it seems even more unfair now than ever.

"I keep thinking about fire. How we expect Leo to beat this giant because he's …"

"Hot?" It was funny in a way that they expect Leo to deal with the giant more than Bucky, when Leo spoke that he has a grin on his face.

"Um, let's go with flammable. Anyway, that line from the prophecy bothers me: To storm or fire the world must fall."

"Yeah, we know all about it. You're gonna say I'm fire. And Jason here is storm." Piper nodded reluctantly, of course there was one other person that it could be, Percy, unless if they add Bucky, Emily, Lauren and Steve to it. Emily could be storm or fire since she has some control over the seasons and can add to the storms. Bucky wasn't sure if Steve could do the seasons yet or if there were only a few children of Demeter of who could do that. Lauren was a daughter of Zeus and Bucky has control over fire because he was a son of Notus. The ship pitched to starboard, Bucky grabbed the ice railing.

Piper nodded reluctantly. She knew that none of them liked talking about this, but they all must have felt it was the truth.

"So you're worried one of us will endanger the quest, maybe accidentally destroy the world?"

"No, I think we've been reading that line the wrong way. The world … the earth. In Greek, the word for that would be …" Piper hesitated, Bucky could see where she was getting at with this, Bucky knows that there was double meanings for the prophecies.

"Gaea. You mean, to storm or fire Gaea must fall?" Leo grinned even wider than before.

"Oh … You know, I like your version a lot better. 'Cause if Gaea falls to me, Mr Fire, that is absolutely copacetic." Jason kissed Piper, Bucky wanted to say something but he was unsure of what to say at the moment.

"Or to me … storm. Piper, that's brilliant! If you're right, this is great news. We just have to figure out which of us destroys Gaea."

"Maybe. But, see, it's storm or fire …" Piper unsheathed Katoptris before setting it on the console, the blade flickered showing the dark shape of the giant Clytius moving through a corridor snuffing out torches.

"I'm worried about Leo and this fight with Clytius. That line in the prophecy makes it sound like only one of you can succeed. And if the storm or fire part is connected to the third line, an oath to keep with a final breath …" Piper didn't need to finish of what he was saying however that doesn't mean that the storm and fire part was connected to the third line.

"Piper." The here of them looked at Bucky when he spoke. "It is possible of what you say about the fire and storm part, but that doesn't mean that the third line is connected to the fire and storm line. Prophecies have double meaning." The three understood where Bucky was coming from but the news as a whole wasn't very old. The others look back at the dagger.

"Okay … so I don't like your idea as much as I thought. You think one of us defeats Gaea and the other one dies? Or maybe one of us dies while defeating her? Or –"

"Guys, we'll drive ourselves crazy overthinking it. You know how prophecies are. Heroes always get into trouble trying to thwart them."

"Yeah. We'd hate to get into trouble. We've got it so good right now."

"You know what I mean. Like Bucky said, the final breath line might not be connected to the storm and fire part. For all we know, the two of us aren't even storm and fire. Percy can raise hurricanes."

"And I could always set Coach Hedge on fire. Then he can be fire." Bucky shook his head when Leo said that, it was a funny thought of a blazing satyr screaming die as he attacked Gaea.

"I hope I'm wrong. But the whole quest started with us finding Hera and waking that giant king Porphyrion. I have a feeling the war will end with us too. For better or worse."

"Hey, personally, I like us."

"Agreed. Us is my favourite people." Bucky figures that Gaea may try to stop them or get rid of Leo, Jason or even Percy. Bucky knew enough from Emily to know that if one tries to focus too much on a prophecy or even a line that it may backfire on them. Bucky noticed that Piper suddenly to tense up, he was about ready to ask what was wrong but Piper spoke up.

"Leo, sound the alarm." Leo dropped his screwdriver at once before he punched the alarm but tom. He frowned when nothing happened, Bucky remembered that it was disconnected.

'Uh, it's is shut down. Gimme a minute to get the system back online.'

'We don't have a minute! Fires – we need vials of Greek fire. Jason, call the winds. Warm, southerly winds.' Bucky and Jason were looking at Piper in confusion.

"Wait, what? Piper, what's wrong?" Piper snatched her dagger up.

"It's her! She's back! We have to –" Bucky understood what Piper meet now, the weather change made sense now. Before she could finish that the boat listed to port and the temperature dropped so fast that the sails crackled with ice. The bronze shields along with the rails popped like over pressurized soda cans. Bucky and Jason drew their swords but it was too late for Jason. A wave of ice particles swept over him costing him like a glazed doughnut, freezing Jason in place, under the layer of ice that his eyes were wide with amazement. "Leo! Bucky! Flames! Now!" Bucky lit his flesh up, while Leo's right hand blazed, however the wind swirled around them and doused the fires. Bucky was clutching his sword while Leo was clutch his Archimedes sphere as a funnel cloud do sleet lifted them off their feet. Bucky struggled against the sleet and hit it with his sword but it did no good what so ever since he hit nothing but sleet.

"Hey! Hey! Let me go!" Bucky kept hitting the sleet as he spoke.

"You better let us go." Piper ran over to the, but a female's voice in the storm spoke.

"Oh, yes, Leo Valdez and James Barnes. I will let you two go permanently." Suddenly Leo and Bucky shot skywards like they been launched from a catapult. Bucky managed to use his wind powers and managed to change the course of their flight, but barely though. He wasn't sure where the ship was now, he wasn't sure if there was a way to get back to the ship. Not only that but he wasn't sure of where they were, suddenly a storm spirit ran over to them. It was a horse, Bucky knows this horse, it was one of the ones he tamed during one of the attacks from the storm spirits. Bucky flew over to the horse along with Leo, Bucky got in first before he helped Leo into the back of the horse. The horse shook it's mane, Bucky looked around, wondering what to do now, it seems Leo was thinking the same lines.

"What now?"

"I don't know. We need to find a place to go to though." Bucky leaned forward and spoke to the horse. "Take us somewhere where we won't be found by Khione." The horse neighed and ran across the clouds, after a few minutes that the clouds parted and Bucky saw a Helicarrier. Bucky sighed in relief when he saw it, when the horse landed on the Helicarrier that Bucky got off of the horse as well as Leo. Just as they barely got off that the horse ran off, not only that but the other avengers came through the door, Tony, Natasha, Clint, Thor and Bruce ran over to them. It was Thor that reached him first and clapped him on the back.

"Son of Notus, I am surprised you found us so quickly."

"Well in this case we were not trying to find you even if you were told to bring help." Tony was looking around before looking at Bucky.

"Where is Lightning Girl, Vine Plant and Capsicle? Not only that but who is this?" Tony pointed at Leo of who was looking at the Helicarrier in wonder.

"We need to go inside and I will explain everything." They went inside, Bucky pulled Leo inside as Leo started talking of the things he could do with the Helicarrier. The last thing Bucky wanted was for aloe to start messing with the Helicarrier.


	27. Chapter 27

Emily's pov

Emily was missing the swamp already, she wanted to go back for when she was there that she felt better and safer. That was partly because to all the plants there, now she feels weak, even with the darkness that was there. Emily and the others were stumbled along in the darkness, air was thick and cold, the ground was alternating between patches of pointy rocks and pool of muck. The terrain seem to be designed so that none of them could let their guards down at any given point, even ten feet. The stop at giant's hut was a better stop than the one at Hermes' shrine, not just because two more were added to the group but because Emily felt more like herself once more there. Since they left that Colonel Phillips gave Annabeth the laptop and dagger she lost as she fell into Tartarus that he somehow found after he entered Tartarus.

A few times she felt Steve grasp her hand, at time she felt Dr. Erskine's hand or even Colonel Phillips's hand. She couldn't even begin to think of what is must be like for Dr. Erskine, when she entered the underworld as the princess for the first time that she avoided hai spirit for as much as she could. That was more for her sake than his, for she knew her pain of losing three closest to her before knowing what happen to them would be painful to bear if she even looked at his spirit. It was still mystery of how Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine even entered Tartarus at this point in time. Emily was worried mostly about Annabeth for the talk with Damasen seem to bother Annabeth the most. Emily knows that they needed Damasen's help, but they were unable to get his help because he turned them down. Emily wanted to go back to the surface and see Bucky again both the pit was still affecting her, it kept telling her that she was in the real world and that this was death as it was meant to be.

Emily kept pushing it back at the back of her mind trying not to think about it, it was maddening, frustrating, the pit kept gnawing at her trying timber he to lose hope. At time she felt like she was going to give up, but she made herself to remain slaking and going in, not for her own sake but for her child's sake. Emily tried to raise her spirits up but she was having a hard time of doing that, for Tartarus kept on trying to get to her. While they walked that they managed to switch their clothes around, Emily kept the jacket that Bucky gave her on for she wasn't just going to dump it in Tartarus or anything of the sort. Besides it wasn't a tattered as her shirt or jeans were, at the moment she was wearing a darken leather tunic and drakon leather pants. To her surprise that they were rather comfortable and soft, she didn't expect anything in Tartarus to be comfortable and soft.

"This place is worse than the River Cocytus."

"Yes. Much worse! It means we are close." Emily knew what Bon meant though Percy didn't know, not for sure since he was sleeping at the time. Small Bob and Sarah were hiding in Bob's coveralls again. As they walked that she felt Steve grasping her hand, Emily looked over at Steve and he looked worried.

"How close are we, Bob?" It sounded so odd to hear the slight fear in Steve's voice, Emily knows that he been scared before on missions and such in World War II but he never showed it before. It was clear that Tartarus was getting to him as well as Emily and the others.

"We are close." In the glow of the bronze swords that Emily could see that Annabeth and Percy were holding hands, Dr. Erskine and Colonel Phillips were standing close together. Emily wondered of how Dr. Erskine and colonel Phillips got here, they were both in the underworld last she knew when she was there a couple of weeks ago just before the Argo II entered New Rome.

"We're together. We'll get through this."

"Yeah. Piece of cake."

"But next time, I want to go somewhere different on a date."

"Paris was nice."

"I'd settle for New Rome. As long as you're there with me." When Annabeth brought New Rome that Colonel Phillips spoke up.

"Hang on a second, you know about he Romans?" Before Annabeth could say anything that Emily spoke up.

"Yes." Emily pulled her two bracelets down and rolled up her sleeve to reveal her SPQR tattoo, from the look on Colonel Phillips' face that it was one of surprise. "If I didn't this I wouldn't have this tattoo that is permanently on on skin. Despite the fact that I am Greek." Emily rolled up her sleeve and put her bracelets back down over the tattoo as well. Colonel Phillips was about ready to say something but the darkness seem to disperse like a massive sigh, like it was the last breath of a dying god. In front of them was a clearing, a barren field of dust and stones, in the center about twenty feet away knelt the gruesome figure of a woman. Her clothes were tattered, her limbs were emaciated and her skin was leathery green, her head was bent as she sobbed quietly, Emily felt her hopes shattered as she looked at the woman. As Emily looked at the woman that she heard a woman's voice, one that sounded familiar to her but she couldn't place it.

'You managed this long on hope, don't let Akhlys destroy it.' Emily looked around trying to locate that voice, the others noticed this too for Dr. Erskine spoke up.

"Agent Rogers, what are you doing?" Emily looked at him in a look of confusing, partly because of what he just called her, the past time she was called Agent a Rogers was in World War II even after she left a Project demigod and become a member to the howling commandos that she still had that name till she married Bucky.

"First off, the SSR disbanded in the war. Second, Rogers is my maiden name now. But didn't you hear that voice?" Bob looked at Emily when she said that.

"You may have heard the voice in your mind but We're here. Akhlys can help." Emily wasn't sure she liked the idea of Akhlys helping them. Never the less, Bob trudged forward, the area was not as dark as the other areas but it was not as light as it was above. "Akhlys!" The woman raised her head, she was wanted to scream but couldn't, her body was body enough. But she looked like the victim of a famine, limbs like sticks, swollen knees, knobby elbows, rags for clothes, broken fingernails and toenails. Dust was caked on her skin and it was piled on her shoulders as if she hadn't taken a shower in years. Her face was utter desolation, her eyes were sunken and rheumy as they been pouring out tears for years and her nose dropped like a waterfall. Her stringy grey hair was matted to her skull in greasy tufts, her cheeks were rakes and bleeding as though she been clawing at herself. Emily lowered her gaze and saw an ancient shield across her knees, it was battered circle of wood and bronze that was painted with the likeness of Ashly's herself holding a shield. The image seem to go on forever and just went on going smaller and smaller as she looked at it. Emily knew what that shield was, apparently so did Colonel Phillips for she heard him take a sharp intake of breath. Not only that but Annabeth knew as well of what that shield and who it belonged to at one point.

"That shield. That's his. I thought it was just a story."

"Oh, no. The shield of Hercules. He painted me on its surface, so his enemies would see me in their final moments – the goddess of misery." Ashly's coughed so hard it Emily winched. "As if Hercules knew true misery. It's not even a good likeness!" Emily remembered that encounter she had with Hercules, honestly he was a jerk that had nothing better to do than stay on that island.

"What's his shield doing here?" The goddess was staring at Percy with her wet milky eyes, her cheeks dripped blood so that it made red polka dots on her tattered dress.

"He doesn't need it any more, does he? It came here when his mortal body was burned. A reminder, I suppose, that no shield is sufficient. In the end, misery overtakes all of you. Even Hercules." Steve inched closer to her, Percy inched closer to Annabeth while Dr. Erskine and Colonel Phillips inched closer to each other. It was difficult to think with despair around them but for some reason Emily's mind was clearing up. The pure pain, misery and despair was not effecting her as it was when she first saw Akhlys, it was like there was something there helping her.

"Bob, we shouldn't have come here." Emily heard Sarah and Small Bob meowed in agreement. The Titan shifted and winced as Akhlys looked at the six of them, before Bob could say anything that Akhlys's eyes landed on Emily. As soon as her eyes landed on Emily that the unexpected happen, Akhlys shrieked and jumped up from where she was kneeling and the shield dropped from her knees as she jumped out. It settled Emily so much at she grasp her poppy and it become her sword, Emily was pointing at Akhlys of who was looking at Emily in great fear. Emily took a few deep breathes, trying to calm herself down of what just happened, Emily has no idea do why Akhlys reacted that way. But it scared Emily quite badly when Akhlys did that. Emily let go of her sword and it back to being a poppy, Steve, Dr. Erskine, Colonel Phillips, Percy, Annabeth and Bob were looking at her confused. Emily shrugged, for she has no idea of why Akhlys acted that way as soon as she saw Emily. Akhlys backed up away from Emily and spoke.

"What do you want? Why have you come here? To torment me?" Emily raised her eyebrow when Akhlys said that, Emily looked at the others of who looked just as confused as she felt. Emily looked back at Akhlys before she spoke.

"I didn't came here to torment you, I fell down here because a monster dragged me in here. Bob says you can control the death mist and that you can hide us." Akhlys seem a bit confused when Emily said that, she took a few steps forward before she spoke.

"Hide you six in the death mist? Why would I do that, Elpis?" Emily was taken back when Akhlys said Elpis.

"We must reached the doors of death to return to the mortal world. Why did you call me Elpis?" Akhlys seem taken back when Emily said that.

"Because you are Elpis. That is impossible of what you asking me to do, Elpis. You should know that by now. For the armies of Tartarus will find you and kill you." Emily was about ready to say something when Annabeth spoke up.

"So I guess your Death Mist is pretty useless, then." Annabeth turned the blade of her drakon none sword, her knife as well as Emily's knife was on Annabeth's belt. It seem that Akhlys didn't pay much heed to Emily when Annabeth spoke for she looked at Annbaeth and bared her broken yellow teeth.

"Useless? Who are you?"

"A daughter of Athena. I didn't walk halfway across Tartarus to be told what's impossible by some minor goddess." Annabeth sounded brave but Emily knew that Annabeth's was scared and that her plan might fail. The dust quivered at their feet, fog swirled around them with a sound like agonized wailing.

"Minor goddess? I was old before the Titans were born, you ignorant girl. I was old when Gaia first woke. Misery is eternal. Existence is misery. I was born of the eldest ones – of Chaos and Night. I was –"

"Yes, yes. Sadness and misery, blah blah blah. But you still don't have enough power to hide two demigods with your Death Mist. Like I said: useless." Percy cleared his throat.

"Uh, Annabeth –" Annabeth flashed them all with a warning look telling them to work with her. Emily didn't like the plan Annabeth came up with but what other choice did they have at the moment. "I mean … Annabeth is right! Bob brought us all this way because he thought you could help. But I guess you're too busy staring at that shield and crying. I can't blame you. It looks just like you." Akhlys wailed and glared at Bob.

"Why did you inflict these annoying children on me?" Bob made a sound between a rumble and a whimper.

"I thought – I thought –"

"The Death Mist is not for helping! It shrouds mortals in misery as their souls pass into the Underworld. It is the very breath of Tartarus, of death, of despair!"

"Awesome, Could we get six orders of that to go?" Akhlys hissed.

"Ask me for a more sensible gift. I am also the goddess of poisons. I could give you death – thousands of ways to die less painful than the one you have chosen by marching into the heart of the pit." Around the goddess flowers bloomed in the dust, dark purple, orange and red blossoms that smelled sickly sweet. But it has no effect on Emily or Steve, but timid with the others for the others seem to be staggering a bit under the smell of nightshade and the other poisonous plants. Steve looked like he was about ready to say something when when Akhlys spoke up again.

"Nightshade, Hemlock, Belladonna, henbane or strychnine. I can dissolve your innards, boil your blood." Emily spoke up first.

"Zone thanks, besides I can't be killed by plant poison for I am a daughter of Demeter." Akhlys looked at her in disbelief when emit said that, as though she still thinks that Emily was still Elpis. However Percy spoke up before Akhlys could say anything.

"That's very nice of you. But I've had enough poison for one trip. Now, can you hide us in your Death Mist, or not?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun." The goddess's eyes narrowed.

"Fun?"

"Sure. If we fail, think how great it will be for you, gloating over our spirits when we die in agony. You'll get to say I told you so for eternity."

"Or, if we succeed, think of all the suffering you'll bring to the monsters down here. We intend to seal the Doors of Death. That's going to cause a lot of wailing and moaning."

"I enjoy suffering. Wailing is also good."

"Then it's settled. Make us invisible."

"It is not so simple. The Death Mist comes at the moment you are closest to your end. Your eyes will be clouded only then. The world will fade."

"Okay. But … we'll be shrouded from the monsters?"

"Oh, yes. If you survive the process, you will be able to pass unnoticed among the armies of Tartarus. It is hopeless, of course, but if you are determined, then come. I will show you the way." Akhlys looked at Emily before she spoke. "I know who you are, Elpis, at the moment you must come with us since you are in your mortals form." Emily raised an eyebrow when Akhlys said that.

"The way to where, exactly?" The goddess was already shuffling into the gloom. Emily turned to look at Bob but he was gone, Percy noticed it as well for he yelled at Akhlys.

"Hey! Where's our friend?"

"He cannot take this path. He is not mortal. Come, little fools. Come, experience the Death Mist." Steve grabbed her hand as Annabeth spoke.

"Well … how bad can it be?"

"Yeah. Next date, though – dinner in New Rome." They followed the goddess's dusty footprints through the poison flowers deeper into the fog. Emily wished that Bob was here for Akhlys was making her feel uncomfortable. As the struggled across the dusty plain that the fog become thicker, Emily had to resist the urge to swat it out of her way. The only reason she could follow Akhlys now was because of the trail of poisonous plants that sprang up no matter wherever she walked. Emily tried not to think of where they were in Tartarus, Emily could see of how Tartarus was like to ther others but she could see of what Tartarus was really like. She could only see what it was like because she was a child of the underworld, she kept her mind focus on what she needed to do in order not to think about what Tartarus was really like and focus more on getting out to see Bucky as well as what the others must see Tartarus was like of which was for more merciful. After a while they arrived at some sort of locating that the fog dissipated and they found themselves on a peninsula that jutted out over a pitch black void.

"Here we are." Akhlys turned around before she leered at them. Blood was still coming her cheeks and was still dripping on her dress. Her sickly eyes looked moist and swollen yew somehow in someway that her eyes looked excited.

"Uh … great. Where is here?"

"The verge of final death. Where Night meets the void below Tartarus." Annabeth inched forward and leered over the cliff, it was than that Emily realized a few things. First the void seem to pulling at her, leaching the breath from his kings and the oxygen from her blood. Not only that but she noticed that Percy's and Annabeth's lips were tinged blue.

"I thought there was nothing below Tartarus." Akhlys coughed.

"Oh, certainly there is … Even Tartarus had to rise from somewhere. This is the edge of the earliest darkness, which was my mother. Below lies the realm of Chaos, my father. Here, you are closer to nothingness than any mortal has ever been. Can you not feel it?"

"We can't stay here."

"No, indeed! Don't you feel the Death Mist? Even now, you pass between. Look!" Emily noticed the white smoke when she felt the void pulling her breath out of her. She knows that smoke wasn't surrounding her but it was coming from her but she didn't look at herself till Akhlys said that. Emily held her hands up and saw that they were fuzzy and I distinct, it was hard to see of how many fingers she had, Percy than yelped and spoke.

"You're – uh –" Percy didn't need to finish it and she didn't know need to look at Annabeth to know that she looks dead. She looked over at Steve, he has his hands in front of his face looking at them. He looked dead, it was like when she went to where the four him and watched as he was pulled from the ice. However he looked move alive when he was being pulled out of the ice than he does now. His hair dried into a skein of cowebs, he looked like if he might be mummified and been stuck in a cool dark mausoleum for decades as oppose being stuck in ice for seventy years.

"Steve, you look like you could pass for the oracle's, the one before Rachel, older brother." Steve looked over at Emily and shield lightly of which was rather creepy, before he spoke.

"You look like you could be the older sister." Colonel Phillips laughed when Steve said that and she looked at him, he looked similar to Steve, Dr, Erskine also looked similar as well. Colonel Phillips looked at her and spoke.

"You haven't changed much even down here in Tartarus." Emily looked at herself before looking back at colonel Phillips.

"True, but I am not sure if would be the same after we get out of here." However Percy spoke up.

"But we'll pass unseen now? We can get to the Doors of Death?"

"Well, perhaps you could, if you lived that long, which you won't." Akhlys spread her gnarled fingers snd more plants bloomed along the edge of the pit, hemlock, nightshade and oleander spreading towards Their feet like a deadly carpet of plants.

"The Death Mist is not simply a disguise, you see. It is a state of being. I could not bring you this gift unless death followed – true death."

"It's a trap." Akhlys cackled

"Didn't you expect me to betray you?" All of them spoke at the same time, though Dr, Erskine didn't say anything.

"Yes."

"Well, then, it was hardly a trap! More of an inevitability. Misery is inevitable. Pain is –"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get to the fighting." Percy Drew riptide but the blade was made of smoke, when he slashed at Akhlys that the sword just floated across her like a breeze. Akhlys ruined mouth split into a grin,

"Did I forget to mention? You are only mist now – a shadow before death. Perhaps if you had time, you could learn to control your new form. But you do not have time. Since you cannot touch me, I fear any fight with Misery will be quite one-sided. So I will kill you slowly! I will cut you into pieces as a sacrifice to Night!" Her fingernails grew into Talons, her jaw unhinged and her yellow teeth elongated into fangs. Emily grasp her poppy and it turned into her sword once more, Emily wasn't sure of what made her do next. She pushed Percy out of the way as Akhlys lunged at him, Emily blocked the attack but slash across Akhlys. As Emily did that, that she remembered what Akhlys said just moments before before lunged at Percy. But once more of what happened was unexpected like when Akhlys first saw Emily, even though her sword was like Percy's at the moment at her sword managed to cut off Akhlys's claws. Akhlys screamed in rage, she took a few steps back from Emily, Emily stomped her foot and the poisonous plants disappeared.

Akhlys tried to get the plants back but nothing she did would make them grow since Emily was not allowing it. Akhlys looked at Emily with rage but than her expression changed to fear, Emily looked down and notice the smoke was still coming from her but that was not all. Emily was cast in an orange glow, Emily could move freely like she did before the death mist surrounded her. Not only that but she couldn't feel the misery coming from Akhlys or anything else from her as well. For some reason, Emily was starting to feel stronger, she couldn't explain it, Akhlys crouched down and was about ready to attack her again when suddenly there was soft humming coming from above them. Suddenly an orange light come down over Emily and something float through the light, after being in Tartarus for so long that the light was blinding to her and she had to close her eyes. After a few moments the light faded, when the light faded that Emily Emily opened her eyes and she nearly screamed her head off. But she was shocked enough that took a couple of steps back and fell into the ground and she let go of her sword that turned back into the poppy, the others were shock as well but they remained where they were standing.

Standing between Emily and Akhlys was a woman, and it wasn't just any woman either that was standing between Akhlys and Emily. The woman that was standing between Emily and Akhlys was Emily, yeah that made no sense what so ever but there are weirder things that have happen. The Emily look a like was covered in soft orange light that seem to light up the darkness surrounding them. Not only that but her skin was slightly tanned just like Emily's skin, her hair was just as long straight and blond as Emily's hair was. Emily couldn't see the woman's eyes or much of her face but from what Emily could see that she had the same facial features as Emily. So Emily figured that the woman has the same eye color as Emily does, just from her looks. The woman also has the same build as Emily does, an athlete or a warrior's build, like she been training her whole life. However the woman's hair was tied up in an old fashion Greek pony tail form ancient Greek. She was wearing a peplos, an old Greek dress wore in an Ancient Greek times and draped around was a himation. The peplos was purple but the himation was white, the woman seem to be glowering at Akhlys. Than the woman spoke in the same voice as Emily's and with the same old Brooklyn accent for the 1940s.

"Leave Akhlys or I will drown you in hope." Akhlys looked fearful like she was scared of hope, she wailed before running down the path that she took them on. She fell on her face a couple of times as she sped into the darkness, as soon as she was gone that the flowers changed around them, they become roses, poppies, and carnations. Annabeth stumbled over to where Percy was on the ground and helped him up, while Steve, Colonel Philips and Dr. Erskine ran over to her. Emily looked at the woman of who turned around had faced her since Emily opened her eyes and fell to the ground. Blue eyes meet blue eyes, Emily took a shape intake of breath as she looked at the woman in front of Emily. It was like looking into a trick mirror in the magical world of where the mirror can change your image and talked back to her. It was Annabeth who spoke up first.

"Who are you?" The woman looked at Annabeth, she was standing up with Percy next to her holding his hand. The woman spoke once more.

"I am Hope."

Bucky's pov

Once inside the Helicarrier that Bucky explained of what happened to them since leaving for the quest of the eight since New Rome. However he kept on making sure at Leo didn't go wandering off to tinker with he Helicarrier, Bucky knows and understood of why Leo was so worked up about the Helicarrier. But the least thing he needed or wanted was an ever more hyperactive Leo st would have a harder time of stopping tinkering with the Helicarrier. Once Bucky was finished that silence followed, he couldn't tell them of what Emily was facing down there, the only ones who coils were not there. Besides he wasn't sure if Arabella and Nico would want to tell or say anything about Tartarus at the moment. It was Tony that lean forward and spoke.

"So you are saying that Vine Plant and Capsicle are in Tartarus and Wicked went through Tartarus. Is Lightning girl and Phil all right though?"

"Last, I knew but like I said, a snow goddess throw Leo and myself off the ship because we are fire users. That fire and ice don't mix. So she needed to get rid of both of us." Tony grinned before he spoke.

"So when your wife says, you're hot ... "

"Shut up, Tony." Bruce looked like he was ready to laugh as well as Leo, bicultural just wanted to find the ship so that they could get back on track with getting to Emily and Steve. After a couple of days that they made it to Malta, just to keep himself entertained that Leo made a makeshift rift with an engine made of celestial bronze. Bucky climbed on while the avengers, or the ones that were there, used a Quinjet to get to Malta. They spend the next couple of hours in Malta, bucky, Leo and the avengers were sitting at an open air café in the city fortifications when Bucky saw the Argo II entering the harbor. When Leo saw it that they agreed to remain where they were and waited for them, as they waited for them that Bucky thought of what a strange sight that they must look like. He was see people were thinking as they passed them that there was a big guy that was wearing Norse armor, a guy in a black sabbath shirt, a guy with glasses, a woman in a form fitting jumpsuit, a guy with bow and arrows, a guy with a metal arm, and a elvish looking kid.

It was an amusing thought, he wonder if the other three avengers were as well, it would be even more funnier than it is now. For a set of twins would be added as well as Lauren and Arabella of who was rather pale next to the rest of the avengers unless of Emily was in her daughter of Hades appearance. Bucky was sure that Leo would went down running if it wasn't for the fact that he heard of Tony and been asking him questions as they sat I the café waiting for the others to show up. After a while that the others came up to the café that they were sitting at, Piper nearly knocked Leo out of his chair. Arabella was close of doing the same thing with Bucky but not quite since he was bigger than Arabella was. Arabella greeted the other avengers as well, she seems a lot more happier this she did before Bucky and and Leo were throw off of the Argo II by Khione. From her greetings it was clear she missed them as well as missing Bucky since she only had Nico and her other two sisters to talk to.

"Leo! Gods, where have you been?"

"Valdez! Barnes!" Gleeson grinned when he saw Bucky and Leo sitting there. Then Gleeson seemed to remember he has a reputation to protect than he forced a scowl on his face, almost making Bucky laugh. "If You two ever disappear like that again, you little punks, I'll knock you two into next month!" Tony looked at Gleeson before he looked at Bucky.

"Did a goat just really threaten you?" Gleeson hit Tony with the bat and Tony fell off his chair, making Phil and Bucky laugh.

"I am satyr, not a goat. Call me at again and I will kick you into next month as well." Tony looked at Gleeson before looked at the laughing Phil.

"You know, I prefer your super nanny threats." It was than that Frank patted Leo on his back making Leo wince, Nico even shook his hard. Jennifer went over to Leo and hugged him as Hazel kissed Leo on the cheek.

"We thought you were dead!" Jennifer slapped Leo across the face making Leo blush.

"Don't ever do that to me again." Leo managed a smile and looked at them.

"Hey, guys. Nah, nah, I'm good." Leo kissed Jennifer's nose. "Sorry, I won't do that again." Jason looked between Bucky and Leo.

"What happened?"

"I managed to change the wind direction and called one of my friends to help. I told it to take use to a safe place and it went to the Helicarrier out there." Bucky nodded to the Helicarrier that was on the water at the moment.

"Yeah, it's really cool but I didn't managed to check it out all that much though. How about you guys? What happened with Khione?" Gleeson snorted.

"What happened? Piper happened! I'm telling you, this girl has skills!" Piper protested.

"Coach …" Gleeson began telling them of happened after they were thrown off the ship, in his version that Piper was apparently a Kung fu assassin. Bucky knows that was not true. Bucky noticed that Jason was watching Leo and Jennifer, for Jennifer since climbed into Leo's lap and have her arms around his neck. It was amusing to see some of this demigods become couple, the most fun was Frank and Hazel because they reminded Bucky of who Emily and himself started out. Bucky kept listening to Gleeson's story till he reached the part of where apparently Piper defeated Khione with a roundhouse kick. At that point Bucky was close of laughing into the coke bottle he was drinking out of the coke going back into the bottle. However, Piper interrupted Gleeson.

"Coach! It didn't happen like that at all. I couldn't have done anything without Festus." Bucky and Leo raised their eyebrows for they both know that Festus was deactivated at to the time.

"But Festus was deactivated."

"Um, about that, I sort of woke him up." Piper explained her version of which was more believable than Gleeson's version of the story. Of how she rebooted the dragon with Charmspeak, Leo was tapping his fingers on the table.

"Shouldn't be possible. Unless the upgrades let him respond to voice commands. But if he's permanently activated, that means the navigation system and the crystal …"

"Crystal?"

"Um, nothing. Anyway, what happened after the wind bomb went off?" Hazel took up the story from there, a waitress came over and offered them menus, it didn't take long for them to be eating sandwiches and drinking sodas. To no big surprise, to the avengers at least, that Thor had double of mostly everything on the menu. Frank grabbed a tourist brochure that was under the napkin dispenser, Nico was standing at the edge of the group eyeing the passing pedestrians. As though the pedestrians were enemies or/and monsters, Gleeson was munching on the salt and pepper shakers. Bucky couldn't believe that the others meet his father, but it didn't bother him as much as one would think it would. Even after he learned he was a demigod and the son of Notus that he didn't care as long as he had Emily and Steve. Learning he was a demigod made him feel connected to Emily and Steve and understand their world better than he did in World War II.

"So then Jason harnessed the venti. And here we are." Leo whistled.

"Hot-air horses? Dang, Jason. So, basically, you held a bunch of gas together all the way to Malta and then you let it loose." Jason frowned.

"You know, it doesn't sound so heroic when you put it that way."

"Yeah, well. I'm an expert on hot air. I'm still wondering, why Malta? The Helicarrier just kind of ended up here." Bucky spoke.

"Well, I told them to land here since the wind told me that we should stay here and wait so I assume that the winds knew that the Argo II was coming here."

"Hey, we should get going. We've got work to do! Ships to fix! Festus to check! Earth goddesses to punch in the face! What are we waiting for? Leo's back!" Leo got to his feet as he spoke, he spread his arms and grinned. Bucky got up as Jason got up, Jason clapped Leo on the back,

"Leo's right. We should get going." Of course Phil told the avengers to go back to the Helicarrier, whirl everyone was wrapping up their food and finish their drinks. Just after that, that Hazel gasped.

"Guys …" Hazel pointed to the northeast horizon, at first Bucky noticed nothing but the sea and land, but that a streak of darkness shot into the air like black lightning as of pure night torn through the daytime.

"I don't see anything."

"Me neither." Bucky looked at the others, most of of them looked confused, the only other ones that seem to see it was Thor, Jason, Lauren, Nico, Jennifer and Arabella.

"That can't be … Greece is still hundreds of miles away." The darkness flashed again, momentarily leaching the color from the horizon.

"You think it's Epirus?" Bucky has a bad feeling about his, if that was Epirus than the doors must be opening, he was getting worried that something might happen to Emily down there. Nico nodded.

"The House of Hades is open for business." A few seconds later that a rumbling sound washed over them like a distant artillery.

"It's begun." Bucky looked over at Arabella of who looked just as worried as he felt.

"What has?" The next flash that Hazel's gold eyes darkened like forklift in the first.

"Gaia's final push. The Doors of Death are working overtime. Her forces are entering the mortal world en masse."

"We'll never make it. By the time we arrive, there'll be too many monsters to fight." Arabella finally spoke up.

"But we have to try, to get to the doors and help Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth."

"We'll defeat them. And we'll make it there fast. We've got Leo back. He'll give us the speed we need." Jason turned to Leo. "Or is that just hot air?" Leo managed a crooked grin.

"Time to fly, boys and girls, Uncle Leo's still got a few tricks up his sleeves!"

Emily's pov

Emily stared at the woman in front of her, hardly believing of what she told them of who she was. Emily managed to stand up and looked the woman, if she was wearing the same clothing as Emily was wearing at the moment as well as having the same bracelets, poppy, rings and hair style that there would be no difference between Emily and the woman. Emily can sense hope as well as give it and she could feel hope rolling off of the woman in front of her, it was a strange thing to see hope rolling off of the woman. Emily could tell that the woman was pure hope and nothing else, but it was a wonder of how Elpis looks just like her as oppose to the drawings and paintings that Emily saw of her. For usually her hair was brown, she was more tanned, and her eyes were green but the clothing and hair remained the same.

"How is that you look like me and how is that you are here?"

"You called to me." Emily raised an eyebrow when she said that, Elpis sighed before she went on. "Emily remember the battle of Manhattan when the truce party came." Emily remembered that too well, the only ones that wasn't present than was Annabeth, Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine.

"Yes, something reached out to be as they wanted to be let out, than Morrain said it has happen and comment it would be a bad idea to let you out. She never explained of that was."

"That was because she was aware of what happened when that jar was made and all those spirits were put in there counting me. For you seem I am different from other Protogenos ever since I was put in that jar and I am still in that jar. But I can't say much more, just please make it to Athens before or the day of the feast of Spes, Emily." When Elpis said that, that she vanished. Emily wondered what to do, forgetting for a moment of where she was and what they were suppose to do till Annabeth spoke up.

"We have to get away from this cliff. If Akhlys brought us here as some kind of sacrifice …" Emily looked at Annabeth realizing of what they were doing and where they were, Emily wasn't thinking straight after the information that was given her just than.

"She said something about feeding us to the night,' he remembered. 'What was that about?" Emily was about ready to answer but the temperature drooped and the abyss before them seem to exhale. Steve grabbed Emily and pulled her away from the abyess, Percy did the same thing with Annabeth, however Colonel Phillips and Dr, Erskine were far enough away that they didn't have to back up. As they backed up that a presence emerged from the void. A form so cast and shadowy that she felt like she could understand darkness for the first time. Than the darkness spoke in a feminine voice that was soft as silk.

"I imagine, that she meant Night, with a capital N. After all, I am the only one." As the darkness formed that a woman was formed, the woman was made out of darkness, her wings were black. The while she has was made out stairs and she was standing in a shadowy chariot pulled by vampire horses. It was Nyx, that much Emily knows for sure, she was looking over the chasm and she was a churning figure of ash and smoke as well,as big as the Athena Parthenos. Unlike the Athena Parthenos that she was very much alive, Emily could feel power rolling off of her just lie she could with the statue. Her dress was void black mixed with the colors of a space nebula as of galaxies were being born in her bodice, her face was a hard to see expect of or the pinpoints of her eyes of which show like quasars. When her wings best that there was waves of darkness rolled over the cliffs, it made Emily feel heavy and sleepy. It was clear that the chariot was made out of Stygian Iron, the same material in her sword Hades gave to her shortly after he adopted her. The two horses were massive, all black expect for their pointed silver fangs, the beats's legs floated in the abyss turning from solid to smoke as they moved. The horses snarled and bared their fangs at Annabeth, the goddess lashed her whip and the horses reared.

"No, Shade. Down, Shadow. These little prizes are not for you." Emily looked at the two horses, the only horse she understood was Arion and he cussed half of the time. She only understand him because they were half siblings of which Emily still finds odd.

"Uh, so you won't let them eat us? They really want to eat us." Nyx's eyes burned.

"Of course not. I would not let my horses eat you, any more than I would let Akhlys kill you. Such fine prizes, I will kill myself!" Emily knew that they have to do something to get to the doors of death and Annabeth thought of something.

"Oh, don't kill yourself! We're not that scary." The goddess lowered her whip, Emily looked over at Annabeth, as well as Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine.

"What? No, I didn't mean –" Annabeth looked at them before forced a laugh.

"Well, I'd hope not! We wouldn't want to scare her, would we?"

"Ha, ha. No, we wouldn't." Emily and the others forced a laugh but it seem Dr, Erskine was the most uncomfortable about this and she couldn't blame him for that fact. The vampire horses looked confused, they reared, snorted and knocked their heads together while Nux pulled back on the reins.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Well, you're Night, I suppose, I mean, I can tell because you're dark and everything, though the brochure didn't say much about you." Nyx's eyes winked out for a moment.

"What brochure?" Annabeth patted her pockets.

"We had one, didn't we?" Emily looked at the two horses, Emily didn't say anything, neither did the others expect for Percy. It was simpler this way and hopefully safer than attacking straight on, even if there were five demigods.

"Uh-huh."

"Anyway, I guess the brochure didn't say much because you weren't spotlighted on the tour. We got to see the River Phlegethon, the Cocytus, the arai, the poison glade of Akhlys, even some random Titans and giants, but Nyx … hmm, no, you weren't really featured."

"Featured? Spotlighted?"

"Yeah, We came down here for the Tartarus tour – like, exotic destinations, you know? The Underworld is overdone. Mount Olympus is a tourist trap –"

"Gods, totally! So we booked the Tartarus excursion, but no one even mentioned we'd run into Nyx. Huh. Oh, well. Guess they didn't think you were important."

"Not important!" Nyx cracked her whip, the horses bucked and snapped heir silvery fangs when Nyx did that. Waves of darkness rolled out of the chasm, Emily,lowered her sword but held onto it as Annabeth pushed Percy's sword arm forcing him to lower his sword. Emily knew that Nyx was one of the oldest beings there was in the Greek world other than Chaos.

"Well, how many other demigods have come to see you on the tour?" Nyx's hand went slack on the reins that she was holding.

"None. Not one. This is unacceptable!" Annabeth shrugged.

"Maybe it's because you haven't really done anything to get in the news. I mean, I can understand Tartarus being important! This whole place is named after him. Or if we could meet Day –" Percy than chimed in.

"Oh, yeah. Day? She would be impressive. I'd totally want to meet her. Maybe get her autograph." Nyx gripped the rail of her black chariot causing the whole vehicle to shuddered.

"Day! You mean Hemera? She is my daughter! Night is much more powerful than Day!"

"Eh, I liked the arai, or even Akhlys better."

"They are my children as well!" Percy stifled a yawn.

"Got a lot of children, huh?"

"I am the mother of all terrors! The Fates themselves! Hecate! Old Age! Pain! Sleep! Death! And all of the curses! Behold how newsworthy I am!" Nyx lashed her whip again, the darkness congealed around her. On either side of Nyx, an army of shadows appeared, among the army was dark winged arai, a withered man that Emily figured was Geras the god of old age, and there was a younger woman in a black toga, her eyes were gleaming and her smile reminded Emily of a serial killer's. Emily figured that was Eros, the goddess of strife, more kept appearing, dozens of demons and minor gods. Emily wanted to run, but what kept her standing there was the thought of seeing Bucky again.

"Yeah, not bad,mI guess we could get one picture for the scrapbook, but I don't know. You guys are so … dark. Even if I used a flash, I'm not sure it would come out."

"Y-yeah. You guys aren't photogenic."

"You – miserable – tourists! How dare you not tremble before me! How dare you not whimper and beg for my autograph and a picture for your scrapbook! You want newsworthy? My son Hypnos once put Zeus to sleep! When Zeus pursued him across the earth, bent on vengeance, Hypnos hid in my palace for safety, and Zeus did not follow. Even the king of Olympus fears me!" Annabeth turned to Percy as Emily tried to figure out a way to get to where the doors of death from here.

"Uh-huh. Well, it's getting late. We should probably get lunch at one of those restaurants the tour guide recommended. Then we can find the Doors of Death." Nyx cried in triumph.

"Aha!" Her brood of shadows stirred and echoed: "Aha! Aha!"

"You wish to see the Doors of Death? They lie at the very heart of Tartarus. Mortals such as you could never reach them, except through the halls of my palace – the Mansion of Night!" Emily followed the gestures and looked to where her mansion was. It was three hundred feet below, floating in the abyss, was a doorway leading into a large room. Emily wondered of how to get there as Annabeth sighed and spoke.

"I suppose we could do one picture, but a group shot won't work. Nyx, how about one of you with your favourite child? Which one is that?" The shadows stirred and dozens of eyes turned to Nyx, the goddess shifted uncomfortably. It was like as if her chariot was hearing up under her feet, her shadow horses huffed and pawed at the void.

"My favourite child? All my children are terrifying!" Percy snorted.

"Seriously? I've met the Fates. I've met Thanatos. They weren't so scary. You've got to have somebody in this crowd who's worse than that."

"The darkest. The most like you." Eris hissed.

"I am the darkest. Wars and strife! I have caused all manner of death!" Geras snarled.

"I am darker still! I dim the eyes and addle the brain. Every mortal fears old age!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not seeing enough dark. I mean, you're the children of Night! Show me dark!" The horde of arai wailed and started to flap their leathery wings, stirring up clouds of blackness. Geras spread his withered hands and dimmed the entire abyss, while Eros breathed a shadowy spray of buckshot across the void.

"I am the darkest!"

"No, I!"

"No! Behold my darkness!"

If a thousand giant octopuses had squirted ink at the same time, at the bottom of the deepest, most sunless ocean trench, it could not have been blacker. Annabeth might as well have been blind. She gripped Percy's hand and steeled her nerves.

"Wait! I can't see anything."

"Yes! I did that!"

"No, I did!"

"Fool, it was me!" Here were dozens of voices arguing in the darkness and the horses whinnied in alarm.

"Stop it! Whose foot is that?"

"Eris is hitting me! Mother, tell her to stop hitting me!"

"I did not! Ouch!" The sounds of scuffling got louder and it seems the darkness become even deeper. Emily felt Steve squeezed her hand and she heard Annabeht.

"Ready?"

"For what?" After a pause, Percy grunted unhappily. "Poseidon's underpants, you can't be serious." Emily knew that Steve knew what they meant and she was sure Colonel Phillips and would make sure Dr, Erskine would follow along.

"Somebody give me light! Gah! I can't believe I just said that!" Emily smiled when she heard Nyx say hat, it wasn't often you hear night ask for light.

"It's a trick! The demigods are escaping!"

"I've got them."

"No, that's my neck!"

"Jump!" Steve and Emily leaped into the darkness aiming for the doorway. Emily helped them guide to the doors as they fell, Emily could feel her heart seem to slow down as they fell. Emily panic slightly, till she felt solid floor, Emily felt pain and she stumbled forward, Steve managed to make sure that she didn't fall as he broke into a run. Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine were just behind them while Percy and Annabeth were just in front of them. Emily just knew from the darkness of where they were since she has her eyes closed for now. Above them in the dark that Nyx and her children scuffled and she was yelling at her children.

"I've got them! My foot! Stop it!" Emily was glad of her night vision even if it doesn't work as well down ere in Tartarus as it does above. Emily was the only one with her eyes open as they ran, however she was able to pick up the slightest sounds. The squabbling sounds of Nyx and her children got further away from them. Of which was good, as they ran that Emily begns to hear a throbbing sound like a heartbeat. It was amplified so powerfully that the floor vibrates under her feet. As the beat got louder that she could smell smoke, she could hear the flickering of torches, Emily wanted to open her eyes but she knew better.

"Don't look."

"Wasn't planning on it, You can feel that, right? We're still in the Mansion of Night. I do not want to see it." The throbbing got louder, sending vibrations up and down Emily's spine. It seem like someone was knocking on the bottom of the world. Emily could sense the walls were opening up, for the air smelled fresher than it has for a long time and she could here the sound of a flowing river. If Emily wasn't a child of the underworld that it would lead to death of Steve, Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine, death again for Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine. For Emily just barely pulled Steve back and grasp the wrist of Colonel Phillips, and she use the shadows to make sure that Dr. Erskine didn't go forward by accident. Emily could hear Percy.

"ANNABETH!" She heard a little bit of scramble before it stopped. "It's okay." It was clear that Annabeth almost fell into the river in front of them.

"Thanks … Can you tell what's in front us?"

"Water, I'm still not looking. I don't think it's safe yet."

"Agreed."

"I can sense a river … or maybe it's a moat. It's blocking our path, flowing left to right through a channel cut in the rock. The opposite side is about twenty feet away."

"Is there a bridge, or –?"

"I don't think so. And there's something wrong with the water. Listen."

"Annabeth, there are no bridges in Tartarus. The closest bridges in the underworld, the ones your half brother built and had great fun building."

"It kept me busy that's for sure. I am not sure if I would have called it a punishment though."

"Neither does my father, but the fields were getting cluttered and it needed to be fixed, so hey let's have Daedalus build roads to help it."

"Daedalus? You mean Colonel Phillios is Daedalus?" Emily was close of laughing.

"You never told him that after you two got here?"

"No, I just barely meet up with him when I got to that hut. You and the other four came shortly afterwards. Even we were together longer I am not sure if I would have told him than either." Emily nodded before she spoke once more.

"Besides that, but what you are hearing is the souls of the damned, the souls that are blackest of the black, murderers especially and criminals like that. Some people call it the river of pain, for it is the ultimate punishment for murderers. We are standing at the edge of the fifth river of underworld, the river Acheron." Emily could hear the roaring current as well as a thousands LD voices cried out in agony pleading for mercy.

'Help! It was an accident!'

'The pain! Make it stop!'

'Murderers! Yes, like you!'

'Join us, You are no better than we are.' Emily had to grip Colonel Phillips harder, for she felt him taking a step forward, she managed to pull him back. She figured that the efforts of the river would be worse on him than the rest of them, she knew she would be least effected by this.

"Colonel Phillips, no." It seem that snapped him out of it.

"Sorry, it's that ... "

"I know, I am aware of what happened. Is that brand still there?"

"You know what, I have no idea."

"What brand?" It was Steve who spoke that time and Colonel Phillips responded.

"A murderer's brand. One that my mother gave to me."

"Why would she do that." Before colonel Phillips could answer that Emily spoke.

"We will talk about it later, we need to get across. Not only that but whatever you do, don't listen to that river. For if you jump in you will be killed and struck in that river forever."

"Well, that's a nice thought." After Steve said that Dr. Erskine spoke.

"Hang on, if this river comes from the underworld, how could you know about it?"

"There are only three ways really, one I am a daughter of Athena and I read a lot, tow I just read a lot or three, I was adopted by Hades."

"Let me guess, you read a lot over the years."

"To put it this way, if I wasn't adopted by Hades, that would be the case." Silence followed that statement, after a minute that Dr, Erskine spoke.

"So you and Steve are children of two gods?"

"If Steve was adopted by hades by now that I would refer to him as Steve's and my father not just my father. In other words no, he only adopted me because Steve was sleeping."

"Thanks for reminding of that."

"What would you prefer to say you were a Capsicle instead?"

"You had spend too much time around Tony."

"Actually that is not fully true, you spend more time with him than I did, since you tow are alms or always at each other's throat." It was Colonel Phillips that spoke.

"I know at I kept up with most news but who is Tony?"

"Tony Stark, or Anthony Stark as you may heard. Tony is Howard's son. But we need to get across the river, i will tell you more later."

"Emily, how would we get across."

"Link hands."

"What?" Than a voice cried from behind them.

"There! Kill the ungrateful tourists!" The children of Nyx have found them. Emily could sense the others linking their hands together than she heard Annabeth.

"Go!" Shadows engulf them, for a few moments they were not on solid ground,than her feet hitting solid ground and she knew that they were no longer in the mansion and she opened her eyes. A valley was stretched before there was poisonous clouds, the terrain glistened purple with dark red and blue scar lines. They made it across the river and Tartarus for they were in the heart of Tartarus, there was a bombing noise that shook the ground like Thunder. Emily spoke up.

"You can open your eyes. But you won't like what you see."

"It looks like … Like a giant heart."

"The heart of Tartarus." The center of the valley was covered a fine black fuzz of peppery dots, it was the army of monsters pushing their way through to the mortals world. There thousands of them, she saw some of the monsters that she killed years ago or even more than once. Emily could feel a power tugging at her soul and she knew that was the doors of death.

"The Doors of Death."

"Yeah."

"What happened to Nyx …?" Emily turned, they were several hundred yards from the banks of the Acheron, of which amazed her since she didn't know the shadow travel would go that far not in Tartarus. She was surprised that she could even shadow travel down here but it drained a lot of her energy by doing it down here. She was holding tight onto Steve, Emily felt like she was going throw up and fall down, Steve seem to understand that and put an arm around her to make sure that didn't happen. He Acheron flowed through a channel that cut into black volcanic hills but beyond that, that there was nothin but darkness. Emily was surprised that she was able to shadow travel through that much darkness more so with Nyx over there and her children. There was no signs of anyone coming after them, apparently Nyx and her children didn't want to cross the river. Than Emily heard the skittering of a rockslide in the hills to their left, Emily turned to that direction and grasp her poppy that turned into her sword. A patch of glowing white hair appeared over the ridge, a familiar grinning face appeared with pure silver eyes.

"Bob? Oh my gods!"

"Friends!" Bob lumbered towards them, Emily noticed that the bristles of his broom was burned off and his janitor's uniform was slashed with new claw marks but he looked delighted. On his shoulders was Small Bob and Sarah, purring as loudly as the heart of Tartarus. Bob gathered them in a rib crushing hug.

"I found you! You look like smoking dead people. That is good!"

"Urf. How did you get here? Through the Mansion of Night?"

"No, no. That place is too scary. Another way – only good for Titans and such."

"Let me guess. You went sideways." Bon scratched his chin, he seem at a loss for words.

"Hmm. No. More … diagonal." Annabeth laughed, Emily couldn't help but smile herself, it was great to have Bob back. More so after meeting Nyx and her children, Annabeth kissed Bob's nose of which made him blink. Emily was close of laughing at Bob's face.

"We stay together now?"

"Yes, Time to see if this Death Mist works."

"And if it doesn't …" Percy stopped himself, Emily wondered the same thing but it has to work or at least long enough for them to get to the doors. Annabeth managed a smile, Emily knows part of it was because their goal was in sight. That they have a Titan with a broom and two very loud kittens on their side, that has to count for something,

"Doors of Death, here we come." Spread to the horizon in front of them was an army of monsters, flocks of winged arai, tribes of lumbering cyclops, clusters of floating evil spirits. Emily did kept looking down at herself as they apwalked across the heart towards the doors of death. It was hard to believe that this was her, for she looked like a corpse, she wondered if this what the oracle felt like all the time. Emily would have to remember to ask her father not to curse any more oracles if the mummified oracle felt like this after that curse. Bob led them towards the edge of the army, he made no effort to his, but it would be for Bob or hid in the first place. About thirty yards form the nearest monsters that both turned to face them.

"Stay quiet and stay behind me. They will not notice you."

"We hope." On Bob's shoulder that Small Bob and Sarah woke up from a nap, both purred seismically before arching their backs. They turned to skeletal before going back to calico, Sarah leaped from Bob and jumped onto Emily's shoulders. Annabeth was examined her zombie hands,

"Bob, if we're invisible … how can you see us? I mean, you're technically, you know …"

"Yes. But we are friends."

"Nyx and her children could see us." Bob shrugged.

"That was in Nyx's realm. That is different."

"Uh … right." Annabeth didn't sound reassured, but they were here now. They have to try. Emily looked at the vicious monsters.

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about bumping into any other friends in this crowd." Bob grinned.

"Yes, that is good news! Now, let's go. Death is close."

"The Doors of Death are close. Let's watch the phrasing." They plunged into the crowd, Emily was trembling, it took a lot for her to get scared easier than she did at six or even ten. But this was different for Emily was in a place of were it was the monster's home and not her own home. She seem a lot of monsters as well as fought them and in large groups, but this was different. There was no way she could kill them here not with some many here, for she would be killed with the greatest of ease. Even with her powers she knew she could defeat all this monsters. That thought scared her greatly, as they walked that Emily kept seeing Tartarus between two things of what she was sure of what the others saw and what it was like. At times that wasn't so bad and she's saw what the others saw, but it seem like she could see all of Tartarus now that she was in the heart. She couldn't put it into words for there no words to put it, she knew that it was being a child of the underworld that she was able to see Tartarus for what it was.

Not for the first time that she came down here that she wished that she wasn't a child of the underworld. A few feet away that a group of Empousai tore into the carcass of a gryphon while the other gryphons flew around them, squawking in outrage. Dr. Erskine looked like he was going to throw up but she took put a hand on his shoulder and he seem he relieved for that. A six armed Earthborn and a Laistrygonian giant pummeled each other with rocks, it was hard to tell of they were really fighting or they were playing with each other. There was a dark wisp of smoke, it was an eidolon,seeped into a cyclops, the monster hit himself in the face before it drifted off to possess another victim.

"Percy, look." Emily looked to were Percy and Annabeth were staring at, a guy in a cowboy outfit was cracking a whip at some fire breathing horses. The wrangler was wearing a Stetson hat on his greasy hair, an extra large set of jeans and a pair of black leather boots. At first Emily thought he was another mortal till the guy turned, for his upper body was split into three different chests, each one was wearing a different color western shirt. Emily knows that was Geryon but she didn't know that he died and was reformed again, she wondered when he was killed. She has a feeling it was recent with Percy's and Annabeth's reaction to Geryon, so he shouldn't reformed as soon as he did if it was in the last twenty years at least. She remembers what the arai said about the one curse that Percy got, so Percy must have killed him at some point. Suddenly Emily felt hopelessness coming from Percy, Emily looked over at Percy when she sensed that.

She realized something, unlike her, that he would get older, that at some point he will be killed or die in some way. That the monsters would feel like they last forever, as that came across that she realize of why Percy felt that hopelessness. Yes, Emily was immortals but she could only die in battle, at some point she would die, of when that will happen she would never know. She knows a monster could defeat her at some point, however she felt that family connection with her child and her hope become stronger. She knew that even if she and Bucky died that their legacy will live on in their child, the one that they created not too long ago, of which could be a month by now since she doesn't know of how much time as passed in Tartarus. She was only sure of one thing, that her birthday passed while they were in Tartarus, for she was sure they been here in Tartarus more than three days. There was hope that the Romans and Greek can work together, after all they did it in the Titan war without realizing it. Both camps be around for years, long before Emily was born of which was about ninth years ago. Emily noticed that Percy was grinning suddenly and she realized he felt hope once more, Percy looked like he was grinning in pain though Emily knows that was not true but Annabeth noticed his grin at least.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just –" Than somewhere in front of them that a deep voice bellowed.

"IAPETUS!" A Titan strode towards them, he was kicking lesser monsters out of his way as he walked to Bob. Colonel Phillips turned to her and mouthed, Iapetus? Emily nodded to let him know at Bob was once Iapetus, Colonel Phillips looked shocked. Emily looked back at the other Titan, he was the same height as Bob with elaborate Stygian iron armor and a single diamond was blazing in the center or his breastplate. His eyes were blue white, like a glacier and just as cold, his hair was the same color but it was a military cut style.a battle helmet shaped like a bear's head was tucked under his arm, from his belt hunt a sword the size of a surfboard. The Titan stopped in front of Bob and clapped him on the shoulder,

"Iapetus! Don't tell me you don't recognize your own brother!"

"No! I won't tell you that." He other Titan threw back his head and laughed,

"I heard you were thrown into the Lethe. Must've been terrible! We all knew you would heal eventually. It's Koios! Koios!"

"Of course, Koios, Titan of …"

"The North!"

"I know!" Emily watched them interact, she knew Bon was just goingniwhtnthe flow at the moment. Small Bob crawled onto Bob's head and began making a nest in his hair.

"Poor old Iapetus. They must have laid you low indeed. Look at you! A broom? A servant's uniform? A cat in your hair? Truly, Hades must pay for these insults. Who was that demigod who took your memory? Bah! We must rip him to pieces, you and I, eh?"

"Ha-ha. Yes, indeed. Rip him to pieces." Emily was ready to fight of Bob's brother sees them and attack, though she was unsure of how the fight would end. Koios drummed his fingers on his bear's head helmet.

"Ah, it's good to see you …mYou remember what fun we had in the old days?"

"Of course! When we, uh …"

"Holding down our father Ouranos.'

"Yes! We loved wrestling with Dad …"

"We restrained him."

"That's what I meant!"

"While Kronos cut him to pieces with his scythe."

"Yes, ha-ha. What fun."

"You grabbed Father's right foot, as I recall. And Ouranos kicked you in the face as he struggled. How we used to tease you about that!"

"Silly me." Kroios heaved a sigh.

"Sadly, our brother Kronos was dissolved by those impudent demigods. Bits and pieces of his essence remain, but nothing you could put together again. I suppose some injuries even Tartarus cannot heal."

"Alas!"

"But the rest of us have another chance to shine, eh?" Koios leaned forward conspiratorially. &These giants may think they will rule. Let them be our shock troops and destroy the Olympians – all well and good. But once the Earth Mother is awake she will remember that we are her eldest children. Mark my words. The Titans will yet rule the cosmos."

"Hmm. The giants may not like that."

"Spit on what they like. They've already passed through the Doors of Death, anyway, back to the mortal world. Polybotes was the last one, not half an hour ago, still grumbling about missing his prey. Apparently some demigods he was after got swallowed by Nyx. Never see them again, I wager!" Emily felt Steve grip her wrist, Emily knew he was thinking that if all the giants were out of Tartarus than their friends would be in greater danger than before, all that fighting the giants have been in vain. Kroios Drew his massive sword, the blade radiated a cold deeper than the Hubbard glacier ever gave.

"Well! I must be off. Leto should have regenerated by now. I will convince her to fight."

"Of course, Leto." Kroios laughed

"You've forgotten my daughter, as well? I suppose it's been too long since you've seen her. The peaceful ones like her always take the longest to re-form. This time, though, I'm sure Leto will fight for vengeance. The way Zeus treated her, after she bore him those fine twins? Outrageous!" Emily heard Percy grunted, Emily have been wondering of why this Titan looked familiar but when he said Leto that she understood why. Emily never meet Leto but she meet Artemis and Apollo before, kroios has Artemis's cold eyes while he has Apolloo's smile of which was rather creepy.

"Well! I'll see you in the mortal world!" Koios chest-bumped Bob, almost knocking the cat off his head. "Oh, and our two other brothers are guarding this side of the Doors, so you'll see them soon enough!"

"I will?"

"Count on it!" Koios lumbered off, almost knocking over Percy and Annabeth as the two of them scrambled out of his way. Thankfully Emily and the other three didn't have to move away as Koios went by, Percy motion Bob to learn forward.

"You okay, big guy?" Bob frowned.

"I do not know. In all this –" Bob gestured around them – "what is the meaning of okay?" Emily,peered towards the doors of death though she couldn't see it because of the monsters.

"Did I hear correctly? Two more Titans guarding our exit? That's not good." Emily looked at Bob, it was clear that he was remembering his past more, of how much more he remembers was the question.

"Do you remember Koios? All that stuff he was talking about?" Bob gripped his broom.

"When he told it, I remembered. He handed me my past like … like a spear. But I do not know if I should take it. Is it still mine, if I do not want it?" Annabeth than spoke firmly.

"No, Bob, you're different now. You're better." Colonel Phillips looked a little worried but Emily spoke up.

"Annabeth's right, Bob. You are different and better. Honestly you have a better life this you did as Iapetus. It's like I told you earlier, you decided of what you are and who become. You can be more than a Titan, more than Iapetus. You can change your fate, for there been people who managed to change their fate somewhat or improved themselves in time." Small Bob jumped off Bob's head and circled Bob's feet, he was bumping his head against the trouser cuffs. It seems Bob didn't noticed this for Bon still seem confused.

"I think you can choose, Bob.,Take the parts of Iapetus's past that you want to keep. Leave the rest. Your future is what matters."

"Future … That is a mortal concept. I am not meant to change, Percy Friend." Bob gazed around him at the horde of monsters. "We are the same … forever."

"If you were the same. Annabeth and I would be dead already. Maybe we weren't meant to be friends, but we are. You've been the best friend we could ask for." Emily walked over to Bob and out her hand on his hand and spoke softly.

"We all change, even Titans change. I been alive for about minty years and I wasn't the same as u was ten, I don't think I am even the same when I was twenty two." His silver eyes looked darker than usual, he was looking at Emily, Emily did her best to make Bob feel welcome and happy with the hope that he could be what he wanted to be. That is also if his memories ever returned to him. He held out his hand and small Bob jumped into his hand than Bob rose to his full height.

"Let us go, then, friends. Not much further." The purplish ground was slippery and was constantly pulsing, even thought it looks flat from a distance but it was made of folds and ridges that got harder to navigate as they walked further.,gnarled lumps of red arteries and blue veins gave Emily some footholds when she has to climb but the going was slow. There were monsters everywhere she looked packs of hellhounds prowled the plains, baying, snarling and attacking any monster that dropped it's guard. Arai wheeled overhead on leathery wings, making ghastly dark silhouettes in the poison clouds. Percy stumbled, his hand touched a red artery.

"There's water in here. Actual water." Emily rolled her eyes when Percy said that, of course there was water, for all five rivers are in the heart of Tartarus somewhere. Bob grunted.

"One of the five rivers. His blood." Annabeth stepped away from the nearest clump of veins.

"His blood? I knew the Underworld rivers all emptied into Tartarus, but –"

"Yes. They all flow through his heart." Emily looked at Steve, Colonel Phillips and Dr, Erskine, it was all clear to them that they were in more danger than they thought they were in. If something were to happen to the heart of this place.

"We should hurry. If we can't …" Annabeth's voice trailed off, ahead of them there were streaks of darkness tore through the air like lighting expect it was pure black.

"The Doors. Must be a large group going through." Her mouth went dry, if here were large groups going through and the giants were waiting than her friends would be in even more danger than before.

'Do all the monsters go through the House of Hades? How big is that place?' Bob shrugged.

"Perhaps they are sent elsewhere when they step through. The House of Hades is in the earth, yes? That is Gaea's realm. She could send her minions wherever she wishes." Emily's spirits sank, it was bad enough to think that the monsters would be in the house of hades but the monsters going anywhere when Gaea wants them to go was worse.

"If Gaea has that much power, couldn't she control where we end up?" Emily looked at Annabeth as Bob scratched his chin.

"You are not monsters. It may be different for you." Bob helped them over another ridge and suddenly the doors of death were in plain view, a freestanding rectangle of darkness at the top of the next heart muscle hill. It was about a quarter mike away, surrounded by a horde of monsters so thick that Emily could have walked on their heads to the doors. Emily couldn't make out the details of the doors, but there were two titans were flanking either side of the doors were familiar enough. For one she saw in person and the other she she in a dream during the battle of a Manhattan when the Romans were attacking the Titan's base. The one on the left was the one she meet in person sort of, she wasn't sure if he would remember her, for the Titan in the left was wearing a shining golden armor that shimmered with heart

"Hyperion. That guy just won't stay dead." The one on the right wore dark blue armor with ran horns curling from the sides of his helmet. This was the one she only saw in dreams before it was Krios, the Titan that Jason killed in the attack against the Titan's base, Mount Tam.

"Bob's other brothers, Bob, if you have to fight them, can you?" Bob hefted his broom like he was ready for a messy cleaning job.

"We must hurry. Follow me." Emily hoped the death mist would work till the they get inside the doors, fifty feet from the door that they froze when the saw the doors. Or at least, Percy, Annabeht, Emily, Steve, and Colonel Phillips froze. Dr. Erskine stopped but he was confused of why they froze.

"Oh, gods. They're the same." Framed in Stygian iron. The magical port was a set of elevator doors, two panels of silver and black etched with Art Deco designs, expect for the fact that the colors were different that the doors of death looked exactly like the elevators in the Empire State Building the entrance to Olympus. When Emily got over her shock that she noticed other details, the frost spread I from the base of the doors, the purplish glow in the sir around them and the chains that held the doors there. Cords of black iron ran down either side of the frame like rigging lines on a suspension bridge. There were tethered to hooks embedded in the fleshy ground, the two titans stood guard at the anchor points. As Percy watch that the entire frame shuddered, black lightning flashed init the sky. The chains shook, the Titans planted their feet on the hooks to keep them secure, the doors slid ole. Revealing the gilded interior of an elevator car. Percy looked like he was ready to charge forward but Bob planted a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait." Hyperion yelled to the surrounding crowd.

"Group A-22! Hurry up, you sluggards!" A dozen Cyclopes rushed forward waving little red tickets and shouted excitedly. There was no way that they could fit into the elevator. But as the Cyclopes got closer that their bodies distorted and shrank, the doors of death suck them in. Krios jabbed his thumb against the up button on the elevator's eight side, the doors slid closed, the frame shuddered again and dark lightning faded. Bob spoke but he was addressing the kitten so that the monsters wouldn't wonder of who he was talking to.

'You must understand how it works. Each time the Doors open, they try to teleport to a new location. Thanatos made them this way, so only he could find them. But now they are chained. The Doors cannot relocate.'

"Then we cut the chains." Emily looked at Hyperion and Krios, it was hard to defeat Hyperion the first time but it would be even more harder now to defeat and kill him.

'Our camouflage. Will it disappear if we do something aggressive, like cutting the chains?'

"I do not know."

"Meow."

"Bob, you'll have to distract them, Percy and I will sneak around the two Titans and cut the chains from behind."

'Yes, fine. But that is only one problem. Once you are inside the Doors, someone must stay outside to push the button and defend it.'

"Uh … defend the button?" Emily panicked slightly when Bob said that, for that means one of them must stay behind in Tartarus and most likely forever. But she wondered when twelve minutes though, Bob nodded and scratched the kitten under the chin.

"Someone must keep pressing the UP button for twelve minutes, or the journey will not finish."

"Why twelve minutes?"

"I do not know. Why twelve Olympians or twelve Titans?"

"Fair enough."

"What do you mean the journey won't finish? What happens to the passengers?" Bob didn't answer, Emily wasn't sure if she even wanted to know that fact.

"If we do push the button for twelve minutes and the chains are cut –"

"The Doors should reset: That is what they are supposed to do. They will disappear from Tartarus. They will appear somewhere else, where Gaia cannot use them."

'Thanatos can reclaim them. Death goes back to normal, and the monsters lose their shortcut to the mortal world.'

"Easy-peasy. Except for … well, everything." Small Bob purred, Emily wanted to say that someone will have to stay behind, but there was a chance that they could all die depending on who stays behind.

"I will push the button." Grief overcame her as well as sadness, it was happening all over again of where she lost a close friend or family member, she didn't what that to happen. Sure it sounded funny to think of a Titan as a family member or a friend, but it was true, Emily wanted to say she will stay and push the button but she knew everyone would,argue that point.

"Bob, we can't ask you to do that. You want to go through the Doors, too. You want to see the sky again and the stars and –"

"I would like that. But someone must push the button. And once the chains are cut … my brethren will fight to stop your passage. They will not want the Doors to disappear." Emily looked at the others,she looked at Percy, she has a feeling that she knows what he was thinking, that he was going to stay behind to help Bob. Annabeth must figured that out as well, for she was staring at Percy and there was a suspicious edge to her voice when she spoke.

"Percy …?" Percy didn't meet her eyes.

"First things first. Let's cut those chains." As they drew closer that Huperion bellowed.

"IAPETUS! Well, well. I thought you were hiding under a cleaning bucket somewhere." Bob lumbered forward scowling,

"I was not hiding." Emily, Steve and Dr, Erskine created towards the left of the doors while Percy, Annabeth and Colonel Phillips sneaked to the right of the doors. Thankfully the titans took no notice to them, Steve and Emily felt it was better if Dr. Erskine was them instead of with Percy and Annabeth since he knows Emily and Steve better than he does Percy and Annabeth. The lesser monsters kept a respectful distance from the titans so that there was enough empty space to am oeuvre around the doors. Though Emily was all too aware of the fact that there was a snarling mob at her back. Emily decided to take the side of Hyperionof which was fine by Percy since he was the last one to kill Hyperion. Bob was facing his brethren, he planted his spear, trying to look as fierce as possible with a kitten on his shoulder.

"Hyperion and Krios. I remember you both." The golden Tits. laughed before glancing at Krios as if there was a joke.

"Do you, Iapetus? Well, that's good to know! I heard Percy Jackson turned you into a brainwashed scullery maid. What did he rename you … Betty?" Bob snarled.

"Bob."

"Well, it's about time you showed up, Bob. Krios and I have been stuck here for weeks –"

"Hours."

"Whatever! It's boring work, guarding these doors, shuffling monsters through at Gaia's orders. Krios, what's our next group, anyway?"

"Double Red." Hyperion sighed and the flames glowered hitter across his shoulders.

"Double Red. Why do we go from A-22 to Double Red? What kind of system is that?" Hyperion glared at Bob. "This is no job for me – the Lord of Light! Titan of the East! Master of Dawn! Why am I forced to wait in the darkness while the giants go into battle and get all the glory? Now, Krios I can understand –"

"I get all the worst assignments." Krios's thumb still on the button.

"But me? Ridiculous! This should be your job, Iapetus. Here, take my place for a while." Bob was staring at the doors, his gaze was distant and lost in the past.

"The four of us held down our father, Ouranos. Koios and me and the two of you. Kronos promised us mastery of the four corners of the earth for helping with the murder."

"Indeed, And I was happy to do it! I would've wielded the scythe myself if I'd had the chance! But you, Bob … you were always conflicted about that killing, weren't you? The soft Titan of the West, soft as the sunset! Why our parents named you the Piercer, I will never know. More like the Whimper." Emily, Steve and Dr, Erskine reached the anchor hook, Emily grasp her poppy and it grew to her celestial bronze sword. Hyperion was paying too much attention to Bob to even notice what Emily was doing. When non spoke that his voice was low and even,

"I can still pierce. You brag too much, Hyperion. You are bright and fiery, but Percy Jackson defeated you anyway. I hear you became a nice tree in Central Park." Hyperion's eyes smoldered.

"Careful, brother."

"At least a janitor's work is honest. I clean up after others. I leave the palace better than I found it. But you … you do not care what messes you make. You followed Kronos blindly. Now you take orders from Gaea."

"She is our mother!"

"She did not wake for our war on Olympus. She favours her second brood, the giants." Krios grunted,

"That's true enough. The children of the pit." When Hyperion spoke that his voice tinged with fear.

"Both of you hold your tongues!mYou never know when he is listening." The elevator dinged, all three titans jumped. Krios took his finger off of the button before calling out.

"Double Red! Where is Double Red?" Hordes of monsters stirred,jostled one another but none came forward, Krios heaved a sigh,

"I told them to hang on to their tickets. Double Red! You'll lose your place in the queue!" Percy was in position, his sword was in his hand and he raised it, Percy looked like a dark ghoul or zombie or whatever. Emily held up three fingers, ready to count down. They have to cut the chains before the next group tried to take the elevator, but they also need to make sure that the titans were distracted as much as possible, Hyperion muttered a curse.

"Just wonderful. This will completely mess up our schedule." He sneered at Bob. "Make your choice, brother. Fight us or help us. I don't have time for your lectures." Bob glanced at Emily and the others, Emily wondered what he was thinking, but he raised the point of his spear.

"Very well. I will take guard duty. Which of you wants a break first?"

"Me, of course."

"Me! I've been holding that button so long my thumb is going to fall off."

"I've been standing here longer. You two guard the Doors while I go up to the mortal world. I have some Greek heroes to wreak vengeance upon!"

"Oh, no! That Roman boy is on his way to Epirus – the one who killed me on Mount Othrys. Got lucky, he did. Now it's my turn." Hyperion drew his sword.

"Bah! I'll gut you first, Ram-head!" Krios' raised his own blade.

"You can try, but I won't be stuck in this stinking pit any longer!" Emily caught Percy's eyes, Emily mouthed down, one two - before they could strike at the chains that a high pitched whine pierced his ears like the sound of an incoming rocket. Than an explosion rocked the hillside, a wave of heat knocked Emily backwards, desk shrapnel ripped through Krios and Hyperion shredding them too easily. A hollow voice rolled across the plains shaking the warm fleshy ground.

'STINKING PIT.' Bob stsggered to his feet, somehow the explosion hadn't touched him. He swelter his Speer in front of him. Trying to locate the source of the voice, Small Bob crawled into his coveralls while Sarah out have of her head into her shirt. Annabeth, Percy and Colonel Phillips landed about twenty feet from the door, Emily managed to get to her feet, as she did so that she realized something. The death mist was gone, their disguise were gone, she looked at the others, they looked like themselves again as they got up to their feet. Than the voice came again and it spoke with disdain.

'TITANS, LESSER BEINGS. IMPERFECT AND WEAK.' In front of the doors of death the air darkened and solidified, the benign who appeared was so massive and radiated such purr malevolence that Emily wanted to crawl away and hide. But she knew that she couldn't do that, not down here, for she figures of who and what that figure was. Emily managed to remain were she was standing but she let go of her sword out of the pure terror that was coming from the figure. His boots were black iron, each as large as a coffin, his legs were covered in dark greaves. His flesh was all thick and purple muscle like the ground under her feet. His armored skirt was made from thousands of blackened twisted bones woven together like chain links and clasped in place by a belt of interlocking monstrous arms. On the surface of the warrior's breastplate were murky faces appeared and submerged, giants, Cyclopes, gorgons and drakons.

All of them were pressing against the armor as if they were trying to get out of the armor just like Hades's robes. The warrior's arms were bare, muscular, purple and glistening, his hands were as large as crane scoops. The worst part was his he's,s a helmet of twisted rock and metal with no particular shape. Just jagged spikes and pulsing patches of magma, his entire face was a whirlpool, an inward spiral of darkness. Emily watched as the last particles of Titan essence from Hyperion and Krios were vacuumed into the warrior's maw. Emily was unable to find her voice to say something, but somehow Percy managed to find his voice.

"Tartarus." The warrior made a sound like a mountain cracking in half, Emily wasn't sure if it was meant to be a roar or a laugh.

'This form is only a small manifestation of my power. But it is enough to deal with you. I do not interfere lightly, little demigod. It is beneath me to deal with gnats such as yourself., Emily felt her legs collapse under him.

"Uh … Don't … you know … go to any trouble."

'You have proven surprisingly resilient. You have come too far. I can no longer stand by and watch your progress.' Tartarus spread his arms, throughout the valley thousands of monsters wailed and roared, clashing their weapons. Each monster was bellowing in triumph, the doors of death shuddered in their chains.

'Be honoured, little demigods. Even the Olympians were never worthy of my personal attention. But you will be destroyed by Tartarus himself!'


	28. Chapter 28

Bucky's pov

Bucky wasn't sure what to expect from Greece. The only greeting that they had was a flock of wild hungry harpies of who attacked the ship. Bucky used his wind powers and his horse, that he named Rachel, he managed to figure out the storm spirit was a girl and decided to go with Emily's second name. He didn't want to use Emily's nick name or the nickname that he gave Emily, the nickname wouldn't fit the storm spirit anyway. The Greek landscape below was inhospitable, the hills were strewn with boulders and stunted cedars,mall shimmering in the hazy air. The sun was besting down on them as if it was trying to hammer the countryside into a celestial bronze shield. Bucky could here drone of cicadas buzzing in the trees below, it made him rather sleepy. Bucky would wonder what like it was to be frozen but he has been frozen before, so he could understood of how the others, but Leo, feel at the moment. Leo was grinning at the helm.

"Hot and steamy! Makes me homesick for Houston! What do you say, Hazel? All we need now are some giant mosquitoes, and it'll feel just like the Gulf Coast!"

"Thanks a lot, Leo. We'll probably get attacked by Ancient Greek mosquito monsters now." It seems that interaction between Leo and Jennifer at Malts seem to make the tension between also and Hazel disappear. Leo still joked around but he seem a little more serious than she has been before, Bucky noticed that Leo chatted more easily with Hazel the before. It was clear that Leo and a Jennifer liked each other from who thornier acting in Malta. As Buck looked at Leo that Nico shook Bucky out of his thoughts of what happen since Malta and being throw off of the Argo II.

"There!" As usual, Nico was perched atop the foremast, Nico was pointing towards a glittering green river that was snaking through the hills a kilometre away. "Maneuver us that way. We're close to the temple. Very close." As to prove his point that black lightning ripped through the sky leaving dark spots before his eyes. It made Bucky's hair stand up on his arm when that happens. Jason strapped on hiss sword belt.

"Everyone, arm yourself. Leo, get us close, but don't land – no more contact with the ground than necessary. Piper, Hazel, get the mooring ropes."

"On it!" Hazel gave Frank a peck on the cheek before running to help Piper.

"Frank, get below and find Coach Hedge. Bucky, go below as well and find Laurne, Phil and Aubrey."

"Yep!"

"All right." Bucky followed Frank down below and they went different directions, it didn't take long for Bucky to find Phil, Aubrey and Lauren. When Bucky told them that they were close to the house of Hades that they went up the deck. As soon as they were on deck that the ship list forward towards the house of Hades. Bucky and the others made fast with the aerial mooring, as they were doing that Leo had too Frank and Hazel to one side. Bucky wasn't sure what Leo was planning or was going to tell them, not that it mattered to Bucky. Bucky went over to Piper just as she spoke to the others.

"Hey, guys! Better get over here. You need to see this." They found the source of the dark lightning, the Argo II was hovering directly over the river, a few hundred meters away at the top of the nearest hill stood a cluster of ruins. It didn't look like much, just some crumbling walls encircling the limestone shells of a few buildings. However from somewhere within the ruins were tendrils of black ether curled into the sky, like a smoky squid peeking from it's cave. Bucky watched as another bolt of,dark energy ripped through the air, rocking the ship and sending a cold shockwave across the landscape.

"The Necromanteion. The House of Hades." Bucky gripped the railing in front of him, Emily was in there somewhere waiting for him to come and get her. Piper hugged her arms.

"I feel vulnerable floating up here like this. Couldn't we set down in the river?"

"I wouldn't. That's the River Acheron." Jason squinted in the sunlight.

"I thought the Acheron was in the Underworld."

"It is. But its headwaters are in the mortal world. That river below us? Eventually it flows underground, straight into the realm of Pluto – er, Hades. Landing a demigod ship on those waters –"

"Yeah, let's stay up here, I don't want any zombie water on my hull." There was some fishing boats puttering along down the river, Bucky wondered if they knew what river they were on. Frank than gestured at the sceptre.

"So, uh, Nico … Have you learned to use that thing?" Nico was staring at the tendrils of darkness that was coming from the ruins.

"We'll find out. I don't intend to try until I have to. The Doors of Death are already working overtime bringing in Gaea's monsters. Any more activity raising the dead and the Doors might shatter permanently, leaving a rip in the mortal world that can't be closed." Gleeson grunted.

"I hate rips in the world. Let's go bust some monster heads." Bucky wasn't sure if he liked the sound of that, he wasn't sure of what might happen if Nico did use that thing. Than Frank spoke.

"Coach, you should stay on board, cover us with the ballistae." Bucky looked at Gleeson of who was frowning.

"Stay behind? Me? I'm your best soldier!"

"We might need air support. Like we did in Rome. You saved our braccae."

"Well … I suppose somebody's got to save your braccae. Besides the Helicarrier." Bucky looked over to where the Helicarrier was he did hope that the mist was hiding it as well as the Argo II. Jason clapped the coach on the shoulder, before he gave Frank an appreciative nod.

"So that's settled. Everybody else – let's get to the ruins. Time to crash Gaea's party." Despite the midday heat and the raging storm of death energy that a group of tourist were climbing over the ruins. Thankfully there weren't too many tourists and none of them gave the demigods second looks. Bucky was surprised the things that they got away with since leaving New Rome as well as in a Rome itself. Nico and Arabella were leading the way, at the top of the hill they climbed over an old retaining wall and down into an excavated trench. Bucky wondered if this was normally was back in the old days before the gods moved to Rome. After a but that the arrived at a stone doorway leading straight into the side of the hill. The death storm was originate right above their heads, Bucky didn't dare to look up at the death storm above them, than Nico and Arabella faced the group.

"From here, it gets tough."

"Sweet, 'Cause so far I've totally been pulling my punches." Nico glared at Leo.

"We'll see how long you keep your sense of humour. Remember, this is where pilgrims came to commune with dead ancestors. Underground, you may see things that are hard to look at, or hear voices trying to lead you astray in the tunnels. Frank, do you have the barley cakes?"

"What?" Bucky rolled his eyes when Frank said that, than Hazel spoke up.

"I've got the cakes." Hazel pulled out the magical barley crackers they'd made from the grain Triptolemus had given them in Venice.

"Eat up." Bucky chewed his cracker of death, he tried not to gag, it tasted like a cookie with sawdust without any sugar.

"Yum." Bucky nearly laughed when he saw Piper's face. He managed to eat his cracker just before Nico finished his and spoke.

"Okay. That should protect us from the poison."

"Poison? Did I miss the poison? 'Cause I love poison."

"Soon enough. Just stick close together, and maybe we can avoid getting lost or going insane." Nico led them down underground, the tunnel spiraled gently downwards. The ceiling was supported by white stone arches. As they walked that Hazel ran her hands along the masonry.

"This wasn't part of a temple. This was … the basement for a manor house, built in later Greek times." Bucky almost forget that Hazel had that special talent for the underground and tunnels.

"A manor house? Please don't tell me we're in the wrong place."

"The House of Hades is below us. But Hazel's right, these upper levels are much newer. When the archaeologists first excavated this site, they thought they'd found the Necromanteion. Then they realized the ruins were too recent, so they decided it was the wrong spot. They were right the first time. They just didn't dig deep enough." They turned a corner and stopped, in front of them the tunnel ended in a hug block of stone.

"A cave-in?"

"A test, Hazel, would you do the honors?" Hazel stepped forward, she placed her hand on the rock, this the entire boulder crumbled to dust. The tunnel shuddered, cracks spread across the ceiling. For a moment Bucky thought that they would be crushed, but the rumbling stopped and the dust settled. A set of stairs curved deeper into the earth, the barked ceiling was held up by more repeating arches, closer together and carved from polished black stone. It was like he was looking into an endlessly reflecting mirror, painted on the walls were crude pictures of black cattle marching downward.

"I really don't like cows."

"Agreed."

"Those are the cattle of Hades. It's just a symbol of –"

"Look." Frank pointed. Bucky looked to where freak was pointing, on the first step of the stairwell was a golden chalice gleaming. Bucky was sure it wasn't there not A moment ago, the cup was full of dark green liquid.

"Hooray, I suppose that's our poison." Nico picked up the chalice.

"We're standing at the ancient entrance of the Necromanteion. Odysseus came here, and dozens of other heroes, seeking advice from the dead."

"Did the dead advise them to leave immediately?"

"I would be fine with that." Nico drank from the chalice before offering it to Jason.

"You asked me about trust, and taking a risk? Well, here you go, son of Jupiter. How much do you trust me?" Bucky has an idea of what happened to Nico and Jason, it was clear that things changed between Jason and Nico since Cupid. Jason didn't hesitate, he took the cup and drank it, they passed it around each taking a sip of poison. Frank was was the last one to drink from the cup, when Frank drained the chalice that it turned to smoke in his hands. Nico nodded as if he approved. "Congratulations. Assuming the poison doesn't kill us, we should be able to find our way through the Necromanteion's first level."

"Just the first level?" Nico turned to Hazel before gestured to the stairs.

"After you, sister." In no time, Bucky felt lost, the stairs split in three different directions, as soon as Hazel chose a path that the stairs split again. They wound their way through interconnecting tunnels and rough hewn burial chambers that all looked the same or at least to Bucky. The walls were carved with dusty niches that might have once held bodies and the arches over the doors were painted with black cows, white poplar trees and owls.

'I thought the owl was Minerva's symbol."

"The screech owl is one of Hades's sacred animals. Its cry is a bad omen." Hazel pointed to a doorway that looked the same as al the others.

"This way. It's the only one that won't collapse on us."

"Good choice, then." It felt like he was leaving the world of the living, Bucky wondered if Emily felt like this when she went into the underworld for spring and summer. His skin tingled, he wasn't sure if that was just this place if it was something else entirely. In the eerie glow of their magic weapons that they all looked like flickering ghosts. Cold air brushed against his face, it made him shiver when he felt that cold sir, it reminded him too much of when he was throw off the Argo II by Khione. They reached an archway carved in the shape of human skulls, or they were human skulls that was embedded in the rock. Bucky didn't want to know for sure if they were real human skulls or not. In the purple light of the scepter the hollow eye sockets seem to blink. Hazel this. Spoke up.

"This is the entrance to the second level, I'd better take a look." Frank and Hazel were in front of the doorway, Frank made way for Hazel.

"Uh, yeah …" Hazel traced her fingers across the carved skulls.

"No traps on the doorway, but … something is strange here. My underground sense is – is fuzzy, like someone is working against me, hiding what's ahead of us."

"The sorceress that Hecate warned you about? The one Leo saw in his dream? What was her name?" Hazel chewed her lip.

"It would be safer not to say her name. But stay alert. One thing I'm sure of: from this point on, the dead are stronger than the living." Bucky could hear voices from the darkness that seem to whisper louder, he caught glimpses of movement in the shadows. Bucky guessed the others were seeing things to since their eyes were darting around as well.

"Where are the monsters? I thought Gaia had an army guarding the Doors."

"Don't know." Jason's pale skin looked as green as the poison from the chalice. "At this point I'd almost prefer a straight-up fight."

"Careful what you wish for, man. " Leo summoned a ball of fire to his hand, and for once Frank was glad to see the flames. "Personally, I'm hoping nobody's home. We walk in, find Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth, destroy the Doors of Death and walk out. Maybe stop at the gift shop."

"Yeah. That'll happen." The tunnel shook and rubble drained down from the ceiling, Bucky managed to move out of the way in time.

"That was close. These passageways won't take much more."

"The Doors of Death just opened again."

"It's happening like every fifteen minutes."

"Every twelve. We'd better hurry. Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth are close. They're in danger. I can sense it." Bucky panicked, he wondered what was going on down there, does it men's that they were almost at the doors? He really hoped that they were almost to the doors of death, he would be glad to see them again. As they went further that the corridors widened, the ceiling rose to six meters high, decorated with elaborate paintings of owls on the branches of white poplars. All Bucky could think about was Emily and what she was facing at the moment. Leo held his fire close to the walls and he saw ancient Greek graffiti scratched into the stone. There were prayers and other things to the dead written by the pilgrims thousands of years ago. The floor was littler with ceramic shard and silver coins.

"Offerings?"

"Yes. If you wanted your ancestors to appear, you had to make an offering."

"Let's not make an offering." No one argued.

"The tunnel from here is unstable. The floor might … well, just follow me. Step exactly where I step." Hazel made her way forward, Frank was behind Hazel and Bucky was rig behind Frank. Suddenly Frank stopped cold, Bucky stopped just behind and Jason stopped just behind him. It was Jason who spoke up to Frank.

"Frank? Hazel, hold up a second. Frank, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just –" Bucky was worried about Frank, something was happening to Frank, Bucky has the oddest feeling that it was one of the dead, Hazel spoke and she sounded alarmed.

"Frank, don't move." Bucky looked down and saw that Frank was about to step out of line.

"Lead where?" Bucky raised an eyebrow when Frank said that, he wondered if Frank was talking to one of the dead.

"Uh, big guy? Could you not freak out on us? Please and thank you." Everyone looked at Frank with concern.

"I'm okay. Just … a voice." Nico nodded.

"I did warn you. It'll only get worse. We should –" Hazel held her hand up for silence.

"Wait here, everybody." Bucky didn't like it but Hazel went up alone, dater a few moments, Hazel came back, her face was drawn and pensive.

"Scary room ahead. Don't panic."

"Those two things don't go together." None the less, they followed Hazel into the cavern. The place was like a circular cathedral with a ceiling so high that it was lost in the gloom, dozens of other tunnels led off in different directions. Each one of the tunnels was echoing with ghostly voices but that was not the unnerving part of the room. It was the floor that was the unnerving part, for it was a gruesome mosaic bones and gems, human femurs, hip bones and rib twisted and fused together into a smooth surface. The bones formed patterns curling to protect the precious stones.

"Touch nothing." But has no intention of touching anything, not unless if he has to.

"Wasn't planning on it." Jason was scanning the exits.

"Which way now?" For once Nico looked uncertain of which was odd since this was area of knowledge, Arabella also looked uncertain as well.

"This should be the room where the priests invoked the most powerful spirits. One of these passages leads deeper into the temple, to the third level and the altar of Hades himself. But which –?"

"That one." Frank pointed to a doorway, Bucky looked to the door and raised an eyebrow. There was nothing special about that doorway or tunnel or at east as far as he could tell. Hazel frowned,

"Why that one?

"You don't see the ghost?"

"Ghost?" Bucky was concern, it seems that Hazel, Jennifer, Nico and Arabella couldn't see that ghost. The floor started to vibrated underneath him.

"We need to get to that exit. Now!" Hazel almost had to tackle Frank to restrain him.

"Wait, Frank! This floor is not stable, and underneath … well, I'm not sure what's underneath. I need to scout a safe path."

"Hurry, then." Frank drew his now, while Bucky held his sword out in front of himself. Frank herded Hazel along as fast as he could, Leo scrambled behind them to provide light, Bucky and the others guarded the rear. Bucky was getting more and more worried by the minute, suddenly the cavern reverberated with monstrous roars. Hundreds of enemies were coming from every direction, there was the Earthborn, gryphons, Cyclopes and other monsters that he could think of and fight.

"Hazel, don't stop!" Nico pulled the sceptre of Diocletian from his belt. Arabella, Jennifer, Phil, Aubrey, Lauren, Piper and Jason drew their swords as the monsters spilled into the cavern. A vanguard of six armed Earthborn threw a volley of stones that shattered the none and jewel floor like ice, a fissure spread across the center of the room going straight towards Bucky, Hazel, Leo and Arabella. Frank tackled them and they skidded across the cavern, tackled may not been he best word for it, but it was the closest.

"Go! Go, go!" Bucky, Arabella, Leo and Hazel scrambled into the tunnel, of which was the only one free of monsters. Two meters in that Leo turned.

"The others!" The entire cavern shuddered, Bucky looked back, dividing the cavern was a new fifteen meter wide chasm. Spanned only by two rickety stretched of bone flooring, the bulk of the monster army was on the opposite side, the monsters were howling in frustration, they started throwing whatever including each other. Some tried to tried to cross the bridge but it creaked and crackled under their weight. Jason, Piper, Nico, Jennifer, Phil, Aubrey and Lauren stood on the near side of the chasm and they were surrounded by a ring of Cyclopes and hellhounds, more monsters kept pouring in from the side corridors while gryphons wheeled overhead. Bucky knew that they would notI make it, even if he was helping Jason and Lauren with flying.

"We have to help them." Bucky was unsure of what to do, but Frank seem to come up with something.

"Nico! The sceptre." Nico raised the sceptre and the cavern air shimmered purple, ghosts climbed from the fissure and seeped from walls. An entire roman legion in full battle gear and they began to take on physical form, like walking corpses but they seemed confused. Jason yelled in Latin ordering them to do something, but the undead just shuffled among the monsters causing confusion. Frank than turned to the four of them.

"You four keep going." Hazel's eyes widened,

"What? No!"

"You have to. Find the Doors. Save Steve, Emily, Annabeth and Percy."

"But – "Leo glanced over Frank's shoulder. "Hit the deck!" Bucky, Hazel, Leo and Arabella dive one way while Frank dive another way. When Bucky managed to get up, coughing and covered in dust, that the entrance to the tunnel was gone. An entire section of the wall collapsed, leaving onto rubble.

Emily's pov

Emily just stared up at Tartarus, she was unsure of what to do now or what to do. She couldn't go up against a god like Tartarus, Emily was unaware of her surroundings expect for Tartarus. Tartarus flexed his fingers, he exam end his own polished black talons, he has no expression but he straightened his shoulders as if he were pleased.

"It is good to have form. With these hands, I can eviscerate you." His voice was unlike any other, it sounded like a backwards recording as though the words were being sucked into the vortex of his face than projected like it was supposed to be. Everything seem to be drowned to the face of this god, the dim light, the poisonous clouds, the essence of the monsters, even Emily's own life force. She never felt so weak, so helpless before even when she was first chased by a monster just before she learned she was a demigod. She thought that was weak and helpless when she was under training long enough. Emily knew that they lived this long mainly because Tartarus was savor it his new form, honestly she wasn't sure if which was scarier, going around Tartarus as he lived or seeing Tartarus in this form. Emily felt that they were both on equally ground. Emily would have dropped her sword if it hadn't changed back to being a poppy, however Percy did drop his sword and to was a weird sound when the sword feel. Tartarus hissed, most likely he was laughing.

'Your fear smells wonderful, I see the appeal of having a physical body with so many senses. Perhaps my beloved Gaia is right, wishing to wake from her slumber.' Tartarus stretched out his massive purple hand and might plucked Emily up but Bob interrupted and leveled his spear at Tartarus.

"Begone! You have no right to meddle!" Tartarus turned to Bob.

'Meddle? I am the lord of all creatures of the darkness, puny Iapetus. I can do as I please.' His black cyclone face spun faster. The howling sound was so horrible that Emily had to bend over and covered her ears. Bob stumbled as a wispy comet tail of his life force grow longer as it sucked towards the face of the god. Bob roared in defiance and he charged before thrusting his Speer at Tartarus's chest. Before it could connect that Tartarus swatted Bob aside like he was a pesky insect and Bob went sprawling. 'Why do you not disintegrate? You are nothing. You are even weaker than Krios and Hyperion.'

"I am Bob." Tartarus hissed.

'What is that? What is Bob?'

"I choose to be more than Iapetus. You do not control me. I am not like my brothers." Small Bob leaped out of the coveralls and landed on the ground in front of Bob before Small Bob arched his back and hissed at Tartarus. Emily watched as as Small Bob's form flickered till the little kitten become a full sized translucent skeletal saber toothed tiger. "Also, I have a good cat." The no longer small Bob sprang at Tartarus and sank his claws into Tartarus's thigh, the tiger scrambled up his leg straight under the god's chain link skirt. It seem like Tartarus didn't like having a physicals form any more. For he was stomping and howling, Bob thrust his spear into Tartarus's side, right below his breastplate. Tartarus roared and swatted at Bob but Bob backed out of reach, Bob thrust out his fingers, his spear yanked itself free of Tartarus's flesh amber ore going back to Bob's hand. Small Bob dropped out of Tartarus's skirt and RNA to Bib's side with his fangs dripping with golden ichor.

'You will die first, Iapetus. Afterwards, I will add your soul to my armour, where it will slowly dissolve, over and over, in eternal agony.' Tartarus pounded his fist against his breastplate, milky faces swirled in the metal and they were screaming to get out. Bun turned towards them grinning.

"Take the Doors, I will deal with Tartarus." Tartarus threw back his head and bellowed, creating a vacuum so strong that the nearest flying demons were pulled into his vortex face and shredded.

'Deal with me? the god mocked. You are only a Titan, a lesser child of Gaia! I will make you suffer for your arrogance. And as for your tiny mortal friends …' Tartarus swept his hand towards the monster army, beckoning them forward. 'DESTROY THEM!' Emily heard those words to often. That got out of her shock state as well as everyone but Dr, Erskine, but that was not a big surprise. Emily raised her sword as well as Annabeth.

"Percy!" Percy snatched up Riotide, Emily and nana her dived for the chains holding the doors of death. Their blades cut through the chains in a single swipe. The doors shuddered and opened with a pleasant ding as Percy, Steve and Colonel Phillips fought with the monsters. Bob and Small Bob went around weave Tartarus's legs attacking and dodging to stay out of his clothes. But they didn't do much damaged to Tartarus, she was sure to,Tartarus that they were like annoying buts. More monsters surged towards the doors, a Speer flew past emit's and Annabeht's head. Emily turned and stabbed an empousa through the gut, than she dived for the doors as they started to close. Emily kept them open with her foot as she fought. Annabeth was right next to Emily with her own foot in the door as well.

"Percy, get over here!"

"Come on guys." Percy, Steve, Dr. Erskine and Colonel Phillips joined them. Expect for ADR. Erskine, their faces were dripping with swear and blood from several cuts.

"You okay?" Percy nodded.

"Got some kind of pain curse from that arai." Percy hacked a gryphon out of the air. "Hurts, but it won't kill me. Get in the elevator. I'll hold the button."

"Yeah, right!" Annabeth smacked a carnivorous horse in the snout with the butt of her sword and sent the monster stampeding through the crowd. Emily hacked off another empousa, of who turned to yellow dust. "You promised, Seaweed Brain. We would not get separated! Ever again!"

"You're impossible!"

"Love you too!" An entire troop of cyclops charged forward knocking smaller. Onagers out of the way.

"It had to be Cyclopes." Percy gave a battle cry. A red vein in the ground at the cyclopes' feet burst open. It sprayed the monsters with liquid fire from the Phlegethon. The firewater might heal humans but it didn't do any good to Monsters, for the Cyclopes combusted in a tidal wave of hear. The burst vein healed itself but nothing remained of the monsters but a row of scorch marks.

"Annabeth, all of you, you have to go! We all can't stay!"

"No! Duck!" Percy didn't ask why but he crouched and Annabeth vaulted over him bring it her sword down on the head of a heavily tattooed orge. They all stood in front of the doors. The exploding vein seem to give the monsters pause, Emily wondered when they remember when they are alone six of them and one being mortal.

"Well, then, you have a better idea?" Emily wished that someone would come up with an idea, Colonel Phillips spoke.

"I will stay behind." Emily looked over at him when he said that.

"Daedalus, you can't serious." He looked over at her whine she said that.

"Why not?"

"Your place isn't here it is in the underworld."

"True but I may as well been thrown into Tartarus originally if I died when I was suppose to." The crowd of monsters were inching forward snarling and gathering their courage. Bob's attacks were getting slower, Tartarus was learning to control his new body. Than small Bob lunged at Tartarus but Tartarus smacked the car sideways, Bob charged bellowing in rage. But Tartarus grabbed his spear and yanked it out of his hands before he kicked Bob downhill knocking over a row of Telkhines like bowling pins.

"YIELD!"

"I will not. You are not my master."

'Die in defiance, then. You Titans are nothing to me. My children the giants were always better, stronger and more vicious. They will make the upper world as dark as my realm!' Tartarus snapped the spear in half, Emily knew what was going to happen, Small Bob leaped to his a in snarling at Tartarus baring his fangs. Bob was struggling to rise but it was over, the monsters turned to watch of what was happening. Percy gripped Annabeth's hand.

"Stay here. I've got to help him."

"Percy, you can't, Tartarus can't be fought. Not by us." Annabeth was right,mfor Tartarus was in a class of his own, he was more powerful than the gods or the titans, so that made demigods were no match to him. She knew Percy would help Bob and that Percy wouldn't listen to her. "We'll go together." Emily knew what they were going to do, before Annabeth could say anything that a ripple of alarm passed through the army. In the distance Emily heard shrieks screams and a persistent boom that was too fast to be the heartbeat in the grounds it was something large and heavy as well as running at full speed, an Earthborn spun into the air as if he was tossed, a plume of bright free gas billowed across the too of the horde of monsters like a spray from a poison riot hose, everything in it's path dissolved, across the sizzling newly empty ground that she saw what made the commotion and she smiled. The Maeonian drakon spread it's frilled collar and hissed, it's breath filled the battlefield with the smell of pine and ginger. It shifted it's hundred foot long body, flicking it's green tail and wiped out a battalion of ogres and on it's back was ...

"Damasen!" The giant inclined his head to Annabeth.

"Annabeth Chase, I took your advice. I chose myself a new fate."

'What is this? Why have you come, my disgraced son?" Damasen glanced at them telling them to go now, than he turned to Tartarus, the Maeonian drakon stamped it's feet and snarled.

"Father, you wished for a more worthy opponent? I am one of the giants you are so proud of. You wished me to be more war-like? Perhaps I will start by destroying you!" Damasen leveled his lanced and charged, the monster army swarmed him but the Maeonian drakon flatten everything in it's path sweeping it's tail and spraying poison while Damasen jabbed at Tartarus. Tartarus was forced to retreated like a cornered lion, Bob strum led away from the battle went his cast besides him. Percy was giving them as much cover a she could but having the blood vessels in the ground to burst one after another having different affects depending in the river. Bob limped to the doors, golden ichor flowed from the wounds on his arms and chest and his janitor's outfit hu in tatters. His posture was twisted and hunched as if Tartarus breaking the spear broken something inside of Bob but Jews grinning none the less to which was a wonder to Emily.

"Go, I will hold the button." Percy gawked at Bib.

"Bob, you're in no condition –"

"Percy." Annabeth's voice was threatening to break. Emily hated this but they have no choice but let Bob push the button. "We have to."

"We can't just leave them!" Emily spoke.

"I know, I don't want to either but what good we will do down here, no good, we need to stop Gaea." Bob clapped Percy on the arm nearly knocking Percy over.

"You must, friend. I can still press a button. And I have a good cat to guard me." Small Bob growled in agreement. "Besides, it is your destiny to return to the world. Put an end to this madness of Gaea." A screaming cyclops sailed over their heads, the drakon was still trampling monsters and Damasen was yelling insults and jabbed at Tartarus pulling him away from the doors. Tartarus was lumbering after Damasen.

"You cannot kill me! I am the pit itself. You might as well try to kill the earth. Gaia and I – we are eternal. We own you, flesh and spirit!" He tried to attack Damasen but he sidestepped and impaled his javelin in the side of the neck. Tartarus growled, more annoyed than he was hurt. He tried to suck Damasen but rasp aspen got out of the way.

"Bob, don't! He'll destroy you permanently. No coming back. No regeneration." Bob shrugged.

"Who knows what will be? You must go now. Tartarus is right about one thing. We cannot defeat him. We can only buy you time." The doors were trying to close on Emily's foot.

"Twelve minutes, I can give you that." Annabeth jumped before she threw her arms around the Titan's neck. She kissed his cheek, her eyes so full of tears she couldn't see straight. Emily remained where she was looking at Bob. Annabeth was trying not to sob.

"Monsters are eternal, We will remember you and Damasen as heroes, as the best Titan and the best giant. We'll tell our children. We'll keep the story alive. Some day, you will regenerate." Bob ruffled Annabeth's hair.

"That is good. Until then, my friends, tell the sun and the stars hello for me. And be strong. This may not be the last sacrifice you must make to stop Gaea." He pushed Annabeth gentle awaY. "No more time. Go." Emily and Steve opened the doors as Annabeth grabbed Percy's arm and dragged him inside. Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine followed them into the elevator. Tartarus noticed them and yelled at the monsters.

'Monsters, stop them!' Small Bob crouched and snarled, ready for action, while Sarah was on Emily's shoulder. Bob winked at them.

"Hold the Doors closed on your side. They will resist your passage. Hold them –" The panels slid shut. Sarah had climbed into her jacket and emit could feel Sarah going around to her back.

"Percy, help me!" Annabeth shoved her entire body against the left door pressing it towards the center, Percy did the same on the right, Emily and Steve remained close by to help if the need the help. The doors shook and tried to open threatening to spill them into whatever was between life and death. Emilymhelped with Annabeth to make sure her side remained closed and Steve did the same on Percy's side while Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine remained in the back.

"We left Bob and Damasen. They'll die for us, and we just –"

"I know. Gods of Olympus, Percy, I know." Emily was unsure of what to say or do at the moment expect to make sure that he door doesn't open. Emily remembered a time of when she wondered when she will go on a quest and at twelve she went on one with Lauren and Gleeson. She remembered of how scared she was at that quest, but to seem like nothing condo have readied for her of what just happened. It felt like seventy years ago when the US joined the war, than she lost two people who thought were died only to learn that was not true. That they were only lost, that she didn't see Lauren for almost seventy years and Lauren that Emily was dead for seventy years. The doors managed to open a little, Emily was going to say something but Annabeth spoke.

"Percy, the Doors." The four of them pushed harder to close the crack of which they did, but there was a smell that was there till the door closed. Emily looked at Percy and saw anger in his eyes.

"I will kill Gaia, I will tear her apart with my bare hands." Annabeth nodded, Emily looked at Steve, Emily could see the hurt and sadness in his eyes, something she got use to seeing for seventy years till Steve, Bucky and Lauren were found again and they were together again.

"Twelve minutes. Just twelve minutes." Emily prayed to all the gods hat Bob would be able to hold that button for twelve minutes and that someone would push it on the other side of the doors.

"We can do this. We have to."

"Yeah. Yeah, we do." They held the doors shut as the elevator shuddered and the music played, somewhere below a Titan and a giant sacrificed their lives so that they could get out and stop Gaea. As the elevator shuddered again that Colonel Phillips gasp, Emily looked over at him, he was staring up at the ceiling as though he couldn't believe it was there.

"What?" He looked down from the ceiling and for the first time she saw fear and panic in his eyes.

"She is remaking the labyrinth."

Bucky's pov

Hazel looked of what Bucky felt like at the moment, for she was weeping and screaming like a two year odd throwing a tantrum. He also felt like that when he learned Emily fell into Tartarus, Hazel was pounded her fists agains the rock and yelled curses at the rocks that separated them form the others. Bucky looked Arabella of who was staring at Hazel wide eyed and speechless, leo was also wide eyed and speechless. After a few minutes that Hazel managed to stop and wiped end face.

"Sorry." Leo shrugged.

"Hey, you know … I've attacked a few rocks in my day."

"Frank is … he's –"

"Listen, Frank Zhang has moves. He's probably gonna turn into a kangaroo and do some marsupial jujitsu on their ugly faces." Leo helped Hazel to her feet as Bucky spoke.

"I am sure the others are fine but we need to keep moving."

"Leo, I'm sorry." Bucky watched as Hazel and Leo, Leo raised an eyebrow.

"Okay. For what?" Hazel gestured around herself.

"For … Everything. For thinking you were Sammy, for leading you on. I mean, I didn't mean to, but if I did –" Leo squeezed her hand.

"Hey. Machines are designed to work."

"Uh, what?"

"I figure the universe is basically like a machine. I don't know who made it, if it was the Fates or the gods or capital-G God or whatever. But it chugs along the way it's supposed to most of the time. Sure, little pieces break and stuff goes haywire once in a while, but mostly … things happen for a reason. Like you and me meeting."

'Leo Valdez, you're a philosopher.'

"Nah, I'm just a mechanic. But I figure my bisabuelo Sammy knew what was what. He let you go, Hazel. My job is to tell you that it's okay. You and Frank – you're good together. We're all going to get through this. I hope you guys get a chance to be happy. Besides, Zhang couldn't tie his shoes without your help." Bucky was glad that Leo was dealing with this better since they found out about whomSammy was to Leo.

"That's mean."

"Yeah, ha-ha." Leo summoned fire into his hand. "Now, which way, Miss Underground?" Hazel scanned the path in front of them, Bucky held his side out in front of him, Arabella was standing next to him.

"That way. It feels the most dangerous."

"I'm sold." They began their descent, as soon as they reached the first archway, the little weasel found them. The weasel scurried up Hazel's side and curled around.

"Not the farting weasel again. If that thing lets loose in close quarters like this, with my fire and all, we're gonna explode." The weasel barked at Leo. Bucky was going to tell Leo off when Hazel hushed them, than she whispered to them.

"Leo, Bucky, Arabella, be ready, We're getting close." Bucky looked at Arabella, of who just shrugged but it was Leo who spoke.

"Close to what?" A woman's voice echoed down the corridor.

"Close to me." Something hit Bucky, he wasn't sure of what happened, but his knees buckled and the world shifted. Suddenly they were three hundred feet down the corridor or at least he assume it was three hundred feet. "Welcome, I've looked forward to this." Bucky looked around the cavern, he couldn't see anyone. The cavern was like the pantheon in a Rome, buts it was more Hades through instead of all of the gods. He obsidian walls were carved with scenes of death, plague victims, corpses on the battlefield, torture champers with skeletons hanging in iron cages. All of it was embellished with precious gems that made the scene more ghastly. The domed roof has a waffle pattern, but each panel was a stela, a grave marker with ancient Greek inscriptions, there was a circle of pure black stone gleaming of where the sunlight would come from. So that there was only darkness,

"Yep, Those are doors, all right." Fifty feet away was a set of freestanding elevator doors, their panels etched silver and iron. Rows of chains ran down on either side bolting the frame to large hooks in the floor. The area around the doors was littered with Blake rubble, Bucky realized that rubble was an ancient altar to hades or where it stood. He looked at Arabella to confirm, just her face confirmed of what he thought the rumble was.

"Where are you?"

"Don't you see us? I thought Hecate chose you for your skill." Suddenly dark spots floated in front of his eyes, he tried to blink bit they went darker, but Bucky realized something. The spots were forming introns twenty foot tall shadowy figure looming next to the doors. The giant Clytius was shrouded in the black smoke, he has dragon like legs with ask colored scales, a massive humanoid upper body encased in Stygian armor. Long bra did hair that seem to be made out of smoke, his complexion was as dark as desth's, his eyes glinted cold as diamonds but he carried no weapons.

"You know, Clytius … for such a big dude, you've got a beautiful voice." A woman hissed,

"Idiot." Halfway between Them and the giant that the air shimmered, a woman appeared. She was wearing an elegant sleeveless dress of woven gold,me he dark hair piled into a cone encircled with diamonds and emeralds. Around her neck hunt a pendant like a miniature maze, on a cord set with rubies. The woman was beautiful in a timeless regal way, like a statue for it can't love you back and her eyes sparkled with malice.

"Pasiphaë." The woman inclined her head.

"My dear Hazel Levesque." Leo coughed.

"You two know each other? Like Underworld chums, or –" Pasiphaë's voice was soft but full of venom.

"Silence, fool. I have no use for demigod boys – always so full of themselves, so brash and destructive."

"Hey, lady. I don't destroy things much. I'm a son of Hephaestus."

"A tinkerer. Even worse. I knew Daedalus. His inventions brought me nothing but trouble." Leo blinked.

"Daedalus … like, the Daedalus? Well, then, you should know all about us tinkerers. We're more into fixing, building, occasionally sticking wads of oilcloth in the mouths of rude ladies –"

"Leo." Hazel put her arms across his chest, Bucky figured that Pasiphaë might do something to also if he went on talking. "Let me take this, okay?"

"Listen to your friend. Be a good boy and let the women talk." Pasiphaë paced in front of them, examining Hazel, her eyes were full of hate. Bucky could feel power radiated from Pasiphaë, after examining Hazel that she looked over at Bucky and Arabella. The look that Pasiphaë gave him unsettled him greatly, though he was still unsettled by Clytius. For he remained silent and motionless expect for the dark smoke that comes off of him.

"Your – your friend doesn't say much." Pasiphaë looked away from Buck and to the giant, of which Bucky was glad of, she sniffed with disdain.

"Pray he stays silent, my dear. Gaea has given me the pleasure of dealing with you, but Clytius is my, ah, insurance. Just between you and me, as sister sorceresses, I think he's also here to keep my powers in check, in case I forget my new mistress's orders. Gaea is careful that way."

"Whatever you're planning, it won't work. We've cut through every monster Gaia's put in our path. If you're smart, you'll get out of our way." Bucky wasn't sure if she was suppose to talk to Pasiphaë like that, but the weasel gnash end her teeth in approval.

"You don't look like much. But then you demigods never do. My husband, Minos, king of Crete? He was a son of Zeus. You would never have known it by looking at him. He was almost as scrawny as that one." Pasiphaë flicked a hand towards Leo than she flicked a hand towards Bucky. "However he looks more like the part of a demigod." Bucky would have said something but Leo spoke.

"Wow, Minos must've done something really horrible to deserve you." Pasiphaë's nostrils flared.

"Oh … you have no idea. He was too proud to make the proper sacrifices to Poseidon, so the gods punished me for his arrogance."

"The Minotaur." Bucky forget about that story, now that Hazel brought it up that he remembered hearing that story from Emily. Pasiphaë glared daggers at Hazel.

"Yes, My disgrace was unbearable. After my son was born and locked in the Labyrinth, Minos refused to have anything to do with me. He said I had ruined his reputation! And do you know what happened to Minos, Hazel Levesque? For his crimes and his pride? He was rewarded. He was made a judge of the dead in the Underworld, as if he had any right to judge others! Hades gave him that position. Your father."

"Actually he no longer holds that position." Pasiphaë looked up at him.

"You know this because? For it's clear you are not a child of Hades."

"My wife is a child of Hades and she helped decided his punishment after he tried to rise from the dead." Pasiphaë looked surprised and slightly disappointed when he said the word wife. Thankfully Hazel spoke.

"My father is Pluto, actually." Pasiphaë looked away from Bucky and sneered at Hazel.

"Irrelevant. So you see, I hate demigods as much as I hate the gods. Any of your brethren who survive the war, Gaia has promised to me, so that I may watch them die slowly in my new domain. I only wish I had more time to torture you two properly. Alas –" In the center of the room, the doors made a pleasant chiming sound, the green up button on the right side of the frame began to glow and the chains shook. Pasiphaë shrugged apologetically. "There, you see? The Doors are in use. Twelve minutes, and they will open."

"More giants?"

"Thankfully, no. They are all accounted for – back in the mortal world and in place for the final assault." Pasiphaë gave her a cold smile. "No, I would imagine the Doors are being used by someone else … someone unauthorized." Leo inched forward, smoke was rising from his fist, Bucky was sure that smoke was rising from his fist or his one fist. In twelve minutes he could see his wife again but that still seem to long to wait.

"Percy and Annabeth." Bucky inched forward as well.

"As well as Steve and Emily." Pasiphaë waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh, not to worry. Clytius will handle them. You see, when the chime sounds again, someone on our side needs to push the UP button or the Doors will fail to open and whoever is inside – poof. Gone. Or perhaps Clytius will let them out and deal with them in person. That depends on you four." Bucky looked at the doors, he hoped that would not happen to Emily or the others.

"How exactly does it depend on us?" Bucky wanted to know that as well.

"Well, obviously, we need only one set of demigods alive. The lucky two will be taken to Athens and sacrificed to Gaia at the Feast of Hope."

"Obviously."

"So will it be two of the four of you or your friends in the elevator?" Pasiphaë spread her hands. "Let's see who is still alive in twelve … actually, eleven minutes, now." The cavern dissolved into darkness. Bucky knew that she used the mist, he wasn't sure what she did or how she was doing but he felt like his senses were going wacky. Hazel took a step forward but bumped onto a wall that wasn't there a minute ago, Bucky looked at the stone wall as Leo pressed his hands against the wall.

"What the heck? Where are we?" A corridor stretched out to their left and right, torches were in iron sconces, there was smell of an old tomb in there. The weasel barked angrily from Hazel's shoulders.

"Yes, I know. It's an illusion." Leo pounded on the wall as Bucky touched it, it felt solid under his hand.

"Pretty solid illusion." Pasiphaë laughed, her voice sounded watery and fury away.

"Is it an illusion, Hazel Levesque, or something more? Don't you see what I have created?" Than it suddenly hit him of what this place was and what she was doing and creating, even though he never been down there before. It seem like Arabella realized the same thing as well.

"It can't be, it was destroyed a couple of years ago after the battle when Daedalus was killed." Hazel seem to realize what paso was doing as well.

"The Labyrinth, She's remaking the Labyrinth." Leo was tapping on the wall with a ball peen hammer but he than turned to Hazel and frowned.

"What now? I thought the Labyrinth collapsed during that battle at Camp Half-Blood – like, it was connected to Daedalus's life force or something, and then he died." Arabella spoke up.

"It is or was, I was there when it happened, for I could feel an earthquake as soon as Nico allowed his spirit to be released." Pasiphaë's voice clucked disapprovingly.

"Ah, but I am still alive. You credit Daedalus with all the maze's secrets? I breathed magical life into his Labyrinth. Daedalus was nothing compared to me – the immortal sorceress, daughter of Helios, sister of Circe! Now the Labyrinth will be my domain." Somehow Bucky doubted that, he wasn't sure why that was. Something was telling that is not possible.

"It's an illusion. We just have to break through it." As Hazel said that, that the walls seem to grow more solid, that old tomb smell became more intense.

"Too late, too late. The maze is already awake. It will spread under the skin of the earth once more while your mortal world is levelled. You demigods … you heroes … will wander its corridors, dying slowly of thirst and fear and misery. Or perhaps, if I am feeling merciful, you will die quickly, in great pain!" Holes opened in the floor beneath his feet, Bucky grabbed Arabella as Hazel grabbed Leo and pushed them aside as a row of spikes shot upward, impaling the ceiling. Hazel yelled.

"Run!" Pasiphaë's laughter echoed down the corridor, he wanted to punch her in the face.

"Where are you going, young sorceress? Running from an illusion?" They kept running as rows of spikes shot towards the ceiling with a thunk. Than Hazel pulled Leo down a side corridor, Bucky and Arabella followed quickly and leaped over apparently a trip wore. Than he stumbled to a halt in front of a pit that as twenty feet across.

"How deep is that?" Arabella and Leo were gasping for breath. Arabella's as well as Leo's, trouser leg was ripped where one of the spikes had grazed them. Bucky wasn't sure what to do, he has to let Hazel do this and figured it out herself, honestly he didn't like that idea very much.

"Eight minutes now. I'd love to see you survive, truly. That would prove you worthy sacrifices to Gaia in Athens. But then, of course, we wouldn't need your friends in the elevator." Bucky's heart pounded when Pasiphaë said that, he looked at Hazel of who seem to be thinking. "Seven minutes now. If only we had more time! So many indignities I'd like you to suffer." Arabella spoke

"Hazel." It seem that Hazel figured out something.

"Leo, we're going to jump." Bucky looked at Hazel as if she was crazy.

"But –"

"It's not as far as it looks. Go!" Hazel grabbed Leo's and Bucky's handm Bucky managed to grasp Arsbella's hand before they launched themselves across the pit. Bucky panicked till his feet hit the ground. Bucky looked back and gapped at what he was seeing, they just over a three inch crack of were they could have just stepped over it.

"Come on!" As they ran that the voice of Pasiphaë droned on.

"Oh, dear, no. You'll never survive that way. Six minutes." The ceiling above them cracked apart, the weasel squeaked in alarmm suddenly a new tunnel appeared off to the left, they dashed into the tunnel. Bucky could hear Pasiphaë sigh with disappointment. "You really aren't very good at this, my dear." The floor started to collapsed and Bucky managed to jump to one side dragging Arabella with him and she was holding onto him tightly. Another tunnel appeared, than Hazel spoke.

"Leo, Bucky, Arabella, hold your breath." They plunged through poison, his eyes were burning as they ran though the poisonous fog.

"Five minutes. Alas! If only I could watch you suffer longer." They burst into a corridor with fresh air, Bucky coughed as well as the others, Leo managed to speak up.

"If only she would shut up." Bucky as to agree on that fact. They ducked under a bronze garrote wire, suddenly the tunnel started to curve a little. Than the walls of the tunnel began to close in on either side, Hazel didn't do anything about the walls closing in on them. Instead the else's seem to be moving faster the what they were suppose to be doing, the tunnel kept curving.

"A pity, I wish I could kill you and your friends in the elevator, but Gaea has insisted that two of you must be kept alive until the Feast of Hope, when your blood will be put to good use! Ah, well. I will have to find other victims for my Labyrinth. You four have been second-rate failures." Hazel, Arabella, Leo and Bucky stumbled to a stop, in front of them stretched a chasm so wide that Bucky couldn't see the other side. From somewhere done below in the darkness came the sound of hissing, thousands and thousands of snakes.

"Okay, okay. The walls are moving parts. They gotta be mechanical. Give me a second."

"No, Leo, There's no way back."

'But –'

'Hold my hand." Hazel looked at Bucky and Arabella. Bucky took Arabella's hand before taking Hazel's hand, they made it so far because of Hazel and he was sure she would be able to get them out of here. "On three."

"But –"

"Three!"

"What?" Hazel leaped into the pit pulled Bucky, Arabella and also with her, this felt too familiar to Bucky as they fell. Panicked spread through him as they fell, the last time he fell that he was on his way to becoming the winter soldier. But if Hazel didn't something that he felt something much worse would happen than becoming a killer. Leo and Arabella were screaming while Bucky was trying not to scream like he did when he fell from the train when Steve was trying to get to him. Pasiphaë laughed with delight, suddenly Hazel twisted in midair and they fell into a chute before sliding into the cavern that they were in before and landed on too of Pasiphaë, Bucky sighed in relief when he fell on solid ground.

"Ack!" Pasiphaë's head smacked against the floor as Leo fell hard on her chest, for a moment the five of them and the weasel were a like of sprawling bodies and flailing limbs. Bucky tried to drew his sword as well as Hazel but Pasiphaë managed to get herself out first. Pasiphaë backed away, her hairdo was bent sideways like a collapsed cake, her dress was smeared with grease stains from Leo's tool belt. Bucky smiled at the sight of her ruined dress and hairdo, it was amusing see how unhappy Pasiphaë was at the moment. Pasiphaë howled. "You miserable wretches!" The maze was gone, a few feet away Clytius stood with his back to them watching the doors of death. Bucky knew that soon that they others would been arriving, he hoped he would get there in time. Hazel than spoke and she was trying to mimic Pasiphaë's cruel smile.

"You must really hate demigods. We always get the better of you, don't we, Pasiphaë?"

"Nonsense! I will tear you apart! I will –"

"We're always pulling the rug out from under your feet. Your husband betrayed you. Theseus killed the Minotaur and stole your daughter Ariadne. Now two second-rate failures have turned your own maze against you. But you knew it would come to this, didn't you? You always fall in the end." Pasiphaë wailed and took a step back while fingering her necklace.

"I am immortal! You cannot stand against me!"

"You can't stand at all. Look." Hazel pointed to the feet of Pasiphaë and Bucky looked to see a trapdoor under Pasiphaë. She fell, screaming, into a bottomless pit that wasn't really there. Bucky smiled as she watched Pasiphaë feel into the trapdoor, the floor solidified and Pasiphaë was gone. Buck looked over at Hazel and Leo was staring at Hazel in amazement.

"How did you –" just than the elevator dinged, instead of pushing the up button that Clytius stepped back from the controls. So that the four were trapped inside.

"Leo!" Bucky panicked, they were too far away and yet too close, there wasn't time for them to reach the doors in time. Leo pulled out a screwdriver and chucked it like a throwing knife, it went straight past Clytius and slammed into the up button. The doors of death opened with a hiss, black smoke billowed out and six bodies spilled fact first. Bucky knew five of the six and one of them he was surprised to see there, for it was Percy, Annabeth, Steve, Emily, Colonel Phillips and another man that he didn't know and they were as limo as corpses. Bucky forced himself not to cry out, however Hazel sobbed.

"Oh, gods …" Bucky and the others started forward, but Clytius raised his had in an unmistakable gesture, stop. He lifted his massive reptilian foot over Percy's head. The giant's smoky shroud poured over the floor, covering Annabeth, Percy, Steve, Emily, colonel Phillips and the sixth person with them. Bucky looked at Steve and Emily worried as Hazel snarled at Clytius.

"Clytius, you've lost. Let them go, or you'll end up like Pasiphaë." The giant tilted his head, his diamond eyes were gleaming. At his feet, Annabeth lurched like she hit a power line, she rolled on her back and black smoke cooking from her mouth. Than she spoke in a face that wasn't hers, for the words were as deep as a bass guitar.

"I am not Pasiphaë. You have won nothing."

"Stop that!" Bucky was worried that whatever Clytius was doing that it was not good. Clytius nudged Percy's head with his foot and Percy's face lolled to one side. Than the giant spoke through Percy.

"Not quite dead. A terrible shock to the mortal body, I would imagine, coming back from Tartarus. They'll be out for a while." Than he turned his attention to Emily as she rolled onto her back in a similar manner as Annabeth, Bucky winced when that happened. Black smoke was pouring form Emily's mouth just like it did with Percy and Annabeth.

"I'll tie Percy and Annabeth up and take them to Porphyrion in Athens. Just the sacrifice we need. Unfortunately, that means I have no further use for you four." Leo growled.

"Oh, yeah? Well, maybe you got the smoke, buddy, but I've got the fire." Bucky was about ready to say no, for he has a feeling that Leo's fire won't work on the giant. Leo's hands blazed and he shot white hot columns of flame at the giant but Clytius's smoky aura absorbed the fire on impact. Tendrils of black haze travelled back up the lines of fire, snuffing out the light and head before covering a Leo in darkness. Leo fell to his knees clutching at his throat.

"No!" Hazel started to ran towards Leo, but the weasel started to chattered urgently on her shoulder, it was a warning of some kind. But this time Clytius's voice came from Leo's mouth.

"I would not. You do not understand, Hazel Levesque. I devour magic. I destroy the voice and the soul. You cannot oppose me." Black fog spread further across the room, covering Annabeth, Percy, Steve, Emily, Colonel Phillips and the sixth person of who Bucky was still trying to figure out of who he was. Not only that but the black fog was moving toward, Bucky, Arabella and Hazel, Bucky felt Arabella grabbed his arm and went behind him. He wasn't sure of how he could go up against a giant, he was sure if he could do that to Leo that he would be able to do the same thing with Bucky. Hazel stammered in a small voice.

"F-fire. You're supposed to be weak against it." The giant chuckled and this time he used Steve's vocal cords.

"You were counting on that, eh? It is true I do not like fire. But Leo Valdez's flames are not strong enough to trouble me." Than somewhere behind Bucky, Arabella and Hazel that there was a soft lyrical voice.

"What about my flames, old friend?" The weasel squeaked excitedly before jumping down from Hazel's shoulder and scampered to the entrance of the cavern. At the entrance stood a blond woman in a black dress, the mist was swirling around her, the giant stumbled backwards bumping into the doors of death. This he spoke from Colonel Phillips mouth.

"You."

"Me." The woman spread her arms and blazing torches appeared in her hands. "It has been millennia since I fought at the side of a demigod, but Hazel Levesque has proven herself worthy. What do you say, Clytius? Shall we play with fire?" Bucky has no idea of who this woman was, but it was clear that this woman was a goddess. It seems that the giant recovered his wits and he stomped his foot, shaking the floor, he almost stepped on Annabeth's arm, dark smoke billowed around him until the six from the elevator were totally hidden. So that the only thing Bucky could see was Leo and the Giant's gleaming eyes and he spoke form Aldo's mouth.

"Bold words. You forget, goddess. When we last met, you had the help of Hercules and Dionysus – the most powerful heroes in the world, both of them destined to become gods. Now you bring … these?" Leozms unconscious body contorted in pain, Bucky winced, he hoped that was not happening to Emily or the others. Hazel yelled at the giant.

"Stop it!" Bucky has a guess that what happened next was something Hazel didn't plan on doing. But he was glad she did though, for suddenly Leo dissolved and he reappeared at Hazel's feet along with Percy and Annabeth. However, the one man that Bucky didn't know, Colonel Phillips, Steve and Emily reappeared at his feet. The white mist was whirled around Hazel, spilling over the stones and enveloped Leo, Percy, Annabeth, Steve, Emily and the other two. Where the white mist met the dark smoke that it steam and sizzled like laval rolling into the sea. When Emily appeared at hair feet that he noticed something moved inside the jacket and a calico kitten climbed out of the jacket had purred ranger loudly. It felt lie the earth shake when the kitten purred, Bucky stared at it wondering what it was doing there and where Emily found the kitten. Leo opened his eyes and gasped.

"Wh-what …?" However Annabeth, Percy, Steve, Emily, Colonel Phillips and the one man remained motionless. Arabella went out form behind him and knelt down besides Emily and looked panicked for a moment but she calmed down. Bucky relaxed when Arabella calmed down, realizing that Emily was going to be fine. On the woman's shoulder that the weasel barked at Hazel as though it was happy that Hazel did that. The goddess stepped forward, her dark eyes glittering in he torchlight.

"You're right, Clytius. Hazel Levesque is not Hercules or Dionysus, but I think you will her find just as formidable." Through the smoky shroud that Bucky saw that the giant opened his mouth, but no words came out so he sneered I frustration instead. Leo tried to sit up.

"What's going on? What can I –" Hazel drew her sword.

"Leo, watch Percy and Annabeth. Bucky, Arabella, watch the other four. Stay behind me. Stay in the Mist." Bucky intended to do that, Bucky pulled Emily and Steve to the side while Arabella puled the one man to the side whirl Bucky pulled Colonel Phillips back.

"But –" Bucky looked up at Hazel as she looked at Leo with a severe look making Leo gulped.

"Yeah, got it. White Mist good. Black smoke bad." Hazel advanced, the giant spread his arms. The doomed ceiling shook, the giant's voice echoed through the room and it was magnified a hundred times.

'Formidable?' It sounded like he was speaking through a chorus of dead, though he wasn't sure in that since he never heard the dead before. 'Because the girl has learned your magic tricks, Hecate? Because you allow these weaklings to hide in your Mist?' A sword appeared in the giant's hand, a Stygian iron blade much like the one that he saw Emily use from time to time of which was three feet long. But this Stygian iron sword was five times the size of Emily's Stygian iron blade, Bucky was next to Emily and he has wrapped his arms around her limp body. He could feel her steady breathing on his neck and the warmth coming from her so that he knows she wasn't dead. 'I do not understand why Gaea would find any of these demigods worthy of sacrifice. I will crush them like empty nutshells.'

That seem that made Hazel mad, it would make Bucky mad if he wasn't worried about Emily at the moment. For Hazel screamed and the walls of the chamber made a crackling sound like ice in warm water. Dozens of gems streaked towards the giant, punching through his armor like buckshots of which made Clytius stagger backwards. His disembodied voice bellowed with pain, his iron breastplate was peppered with holes, golden ichor was trickling from a wound on his right arm. His shroud of darkness thinned and he could see the murderous expression on the giant's face as he looked at Hazel. Clytius growled at Hazel.

'You, You worthless –'

"Worthless? I'd say Hazel Levesque knows a few tricks even I could not teach her." Hazel stood in front of them doing her best to protect them and honestly she was doing a good job of it. But he wasn't sure of how much longer she could hold out on her own at the moment, he wish that there was a way he could help her or even give her hope lie Emily could. Bucky watched as the giant dug his fingers into the wound on his biceps and pulled out a diamond before he flicked it aside and the the wound closed.

'So, daughter of Pluto, do you really believe Hecate has your interests at heart? Circe was a favourite of hers. And Medea. And Pasiphaë. How did they end up, eh?' It was than that Emily started to stir and started to muttered a name, Bob as well as his own name. Bucky looked at Emily as she started to stir and muttered, Bucky was wondering of who Bob was. Bucky looked around and noticed that Annabeth was stirring and groaning in pain, Percy was also muttered as well but it seem like he was only saying Bob. Apparently, a Bob has been helping her through Tartarus if Emily and Percy were saying the name. Steve, Colonel Philips and the man that Bucky doesn't know were stirring and groaning in pain. Than the stepped forward towards Hazel with his sword at his side as though they were friends not enemies. 'Hecate will not tell you the truth. She sends acolytes like you to do her bidding and take all the risk. If by some miracle you incapacitate me, only then will she be able to set me on fire. Then she will claim the glory of the kill. You heard how the Alodai twins were dealt with in the Colosseum and what Bacchus did to try to prove how worthy you eight are. Hecate is worse. She is a Titan who betrayed the Titans. Then she betrayed the gods. Do you really think she will keep faith with you?'

Suddenly Bucky realized after hearing the name few times that the blond hair woman was Hecate, the goddess of Magic, Witchcraft, crossroads, and mist. In other words she was basically the patient of the wizarding world, Bucky never seen the wizarding world but he only heard about it from Arabella and Emily. Bucky heard of Hecate from Emily, from what Emily told him that Hecate can be confusing to people if they don't know her as well as Persephone does or even Emily. Though Emily would admit that she didn't understand Hecate a fair amount of the time anyway but was on good basis with Hecate due to be in the underworld a fair amount of time as well as being Persephone's sister and Demeter's daughter.

"I cannot answer his accusations, Hazel. This is your crossroads. You must choose." Clytius's laughter echoed through the cavern and his wounds seem to have healed completely.

'Yes, crossroads. Hecate offers you obscurity, choices, vague promises of magic. I am the anti-Hecate. I will give you truth. I will eliminate choices and magic. I will strip away the Mist, once and for all, and show you the world in all its true horror.' Just than Emily moaned, Bucky looked at Emily, she stirred and her eyes flew open as soon a a she saw him that she looked like she was going to try but she threw her arms around his neck and held him tight like her life depended on him. Bucky held Emily close, Arabella managed to come over, Emily let to of him for a minute as Arabella hugged Emily. Bucky noticed that Emily was pale, while in her daughter of Hades appearance she was like that. But she wasn't pale when she was in her normal appearance like she was in now, her eyes were pale and there was some fear in her eyes. What worried him that it looked like her eyes were close of shattering, almost like she was close of being broken down in Tartarus. Her blond was pale compared to how it used to be, she was wearing some kind of leather with his jacket over the shirt, both the shirt and pants were made out of the same leather. Her build was still there, but she looked a little thinner this she was before she seem to be close of crying as she hugged Emily, Leo was struggling to his feet and was coughing rather badly and Leo managed to wheeze.

"I'm loving this guy. Seriously, we should keep him around for inspirational seminars." Than Leo's hands ignited like blowtorches. "Or I could just light him up."

"Leo, no. My father's temple. My call."

"Yeah, okay. But –" Emily managed to speak up.

"Leo, listen to her." Hazel turned to Emily, it was clear that Hazel was elated to hear Emily's voice again. Than Annabeth wheezed and Hazel turned to look at Annabeth when she spoke.

"Hazel … The chains …" Bucky looked at he chains, the doors were still open, shuddering against the chains that held them in place. The door needed to be unchained so it would be Gaea's reach, Bucky looked over at Steve as he moved closer to him. Steve was pale, his blue eyes seem to have pale some and her blond also paled as well, but he has there was fear and worry in his eyes, something he never seen before in Steve's eyes. But otherwise he looked the same as always, Percy, Annabeth and he other two were in similar states as he looked at the others. Than the giant spoke once more.

'You can't seriously believe you have the strength. What will you do, Hazel Levesque – pelt me with more rubies? Shower me with sapphires?' Hazel gave Clytius her answer, the answer was unexpected to everyone but Hazel, even Clytius didn't expect it. Hazel raised her sword and charged at the giant, Clytius was slow in raising his sword so that by the time he slashed that Hazel ducked between his legs before she jabbed her sword into his glueus maximus. Bucky smiled slightly when Hazel did that, at a moment like this that it seems hard to believe that she was raised in the same time period that he was from. Clytius roared and arched his back, wadding away from her mist was still swirling around her and it was hissing as it meet the black smoke. Hazel than sprinted towards the doors of death, her blade shattered the chains on the left side like they were made of ice. Before she could get to the right that Clytius yelled. 'No." He watched in horror as the flat of the giant's blade caught Hazel in the chest and sent her flying. Hazel slammed into the wall, as Hazel hit the wall that Leo and Emily shouted at the same time.

"Hazel!" It was clear that Hazel was losing consciousness but somehow she managed to stand up and staggered towards her sword. Before she picked up and shouted, it was more of a croak, at Clytius.

"Clytius!" The gin at turned away from Leo and everyone else, Hazel limped forward as Clytius laugh.

'A good try, Hazel Levesque. You did better than I anticipated. But magic alone cannot defeat me, and you do not have sufficient strength. Hecate has failed you, as she fails all of her followers in the end.' The mist around. Hazel was thinning, Bucky helped Emily to sit up more when Arabella had let to of Emily, but her head went on his shoulder and her arms were around his neck and she was struggling to lift her head. Steve wasn't much better, he was a bit better though Bucky partly assumed it was the serum, but it wasn't much better. For Steve was at least able to lift his head of where Emily was struggling with doing that. Bucky has his arms around her hoping to help steady her, clearly hey went thought a lot down in Tartarus and he couldn't began to think of what it just been like. Colonel Phillips, the one man that Bucky still doesn't know, and Annabeth were in similar states as Emily but Percy was still pretty much out of it. At the moment Leo was trying to,force feed Percy some Ambroisa. Bucky didn't pay any heed to Hecate but he was focusing his attention between Emily and Hazel. Hazel threw her sword at the chains on the right side of the doors and the chains shattered. Hazel collapsed as the doors shuddered and disappeared in a flash of purple light, Clytius roared so loudly that a half dozen stelae fell from the ceiling and shattered.

"That was for my brother, Nico. And for destroying my father's altar." The giant snarled at Hazel.

'You have forfeited your right to a quick death. I will suffocate you in darkness, slowly, painfully. Hecate cannot help you. NO ONE can help you!'

"I would not be so certain, Clytius. Hazel's friends simply needed a little time to reach her – time you have given them with your boasting and bragging." Clytius snorted.

"What friends? These weaklings? They are no challenge." In front of Hazel the sir rippled and he mist thickened, creating a doorway and seven people,stepped through. Bucky sighed in relief as Frank, Nico, Piper, Jason, Lauren, Phil and Aubrey came through the door. All their swords were drawn and were in front of them.

"Sorry we're late. Is this the guy who needs killing?" They attacked form every direction, not everyone though. Jason, Hazel, Leo, Frank, Jennifer, Arabella, and Piper. Leo was shooting fire at the giant's legs while Frank and Piper were jabbing at his chest, Jason was flying into the air and was kicking the giant in the face. It was either Nico and Arabella were there when the smoky veil started to creep around one of them drinking the darkness with their Stygian blades. Hazel was also jabbing at the giant's legs. Phil, Aubrey and Lauren came over to them since it was clear that they were not needed in the fight for the time being. Bucky helped Emily to her feet, Emily still has her head on his shoulders but she seem to be able to stand somewhat as well as the others. The others looked weak and dazed as well, Lauren helped Steve up and she hugged him as she as she helped him up and cried into his chest as Steve held her against him.

Phil helped Colonel Phillips and Aubrey helped the other guy up, but it was clear that they were a but confused of who Colonel Phillips was as well as the other guy. Percy and Annabeth managed to get up with their swords drawn, Bucky noticed that Annabeth has her dagger and another dagger on her belt. He was sure that Annabeth never had a sword before she fell into Tartarus, he wasn't even sure of what that sword was made out of. Emily never brought up any weapons that look like it was made out of ivory before, unless if it was something she never seen before till she entered Tartarus. Bucky felt Emily shaking a little against him as she nestled more into him, it seem that Tartarus affected her more than she was letting on. The kitten was now sitting on her shoulder purring, Clytius was snarling and was turning back and forth as if he couldn't figure out who he should kill first.

'Wait! Hold still! No! Ouch!' The darkness around him dispelled completely, leaving. Othin to protect him expect his battered armor. Ichor oozed from a dozen wounds. The damage was healing almost as fast as it was inflicting but it was clear that the giant as tiring after the fight. Bucky held Emily closer to him as Jason flew one last time at Clytius, kicking him in the chest and Clytius' breastplate shattered. Clytius stagger backwards, his sword dropped to the floor before he fell to his knees and the demigods encircled him. It was than that Hecate step forward with her torches raised, mist curled around the giant, hissing and bubbling as it touched his skin. Bucky was a bit unnerved when he looked at Hecate, he wasn't sure what it was that him feel like that. It might be he was she was holding herself for all he knows.

"And so it ends." Clytius's voice echoed from above, muffled and slurred.

'It does not end. My brethren have risen. Gaia waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?' Hecate turned her torches upside down than Hecate thrust them like daggers at Clytius's head. The giant's hair went up faster than dry tinder, spreading down his head and across his body till he felt the hear of the bonfire. Bucky felt Emily wince when the heat hit them, it didn't affect Bucky all that much, not much of a surprise there. Clytius fell without a sound, face fist into the rubble of what Bucky was Hades' altar, than Clytius's body crumbled to ashes. For a moment no one spoke, than Hecate face Hazel.

"You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place." Bucky raised an eyebrow when Hecate said that, that seem to made Hazel mad.

"Just like that? No 'thank you'? No 'good work'?" The goddess tilted her head, the weasel chattered before disappearing into the folds of Hecate's dress.

'You look in the wrong place for gratitude. As for 'good work', that remains to be seen. Speed your way to Athens. Clytius was not wrong. The giants have risen – all of them, stronger than ever. Gaia is on the very edge of waking. The Feast of Hope will be poorly named unless you arrive to stop her." The chamber rumbled and another stela crashed to the floor. "The House of Hades is unstable. Leave now. We shall meet again." The goddess dissolved and the mist evaporated.

"She's friendly." Emily spoke

"She wasn't in one of her better moods just now, and it doesn't help the fact that she has three sides to her. The mood she was in wasn't her worst mood either, it was more in between the two moods." The others turned towards Emily, Percy, Annabeth and the others. Jason gave Percy a beer hug.

"Dude." Leo was whooping.

"Back from Tartarus! That's my peeps!" Piper threw her arms around Annabeth and cried, Frank ran over to Hazel. Arabella came running back over to Emily and hugged Emily again, this time Emily gave her a more proper hug. Emily had let go of Bucky in order to hug Arabella, when Arabella let go of Emily and pulled away that she looked at Colonel Phillips of who was leaning against the wall.

"You are suppose to be in the underworld." Colonel Phillips looked at her.

"I know, I, somehow, ended up with Tartarus." Than he pointed at the guy that was standing next to him. "Somehow, Dr. Erskine ended up coming with me." Bucky than spoke

"Hang a second, you mean the guy who came up with the super soldier serum and put it into Steve." The man spoke in a German accent.

"Yes, I am. Who are you?" However emit best him to it.

"This is Bucky Barnes, my husband." Before anything else could be said that the ceiling shuddered and cracks appeared in the remaining tiles, columns of dust spilled down.

"We've got to get out of here. Uh, Frank …?" Frank shook his head.

"I think one favour from the dead is all I can manage today."

"Wait, what?" Bucky was just as confused as the others that was here in the cavern before Frank and the others came to the cavern. Piper raised her eyebrows.

"Your unbelievable boyfriend called in a favour as a child of Mars. He summoned the spirits of some dead warriors, made them lead us here through … um, well, I'm not sure, actually. The passages of the dead? All I know is that it was very, very dark." To their left a section of the wall split, two ruby eyes from a carved stone skeleton popped out before rolling across the floor.

"We'll have to shadow-travel." Nico winced.

"Hazel, I can barely manage that with only myself. With seven more people –"

"I'll help you." Than Arabella spoke up.

"Jennifer and I can help as well." An entire section of tiles peeled loose from the ceiling. Nico yelled.

"Everyone, grab hands!" They made a hasty circle, Bucky wasn't sure if Emily was helping her four siblings, but as the cavern collapsed that he felt himself dissolved into shadow. They appeared on the hillside overlooking the river Acheron, the sun was just rising, making the water glitter and the clouds glow orange. The cool morning air smelled of honeysuckle, Bucky was between Steve and Emily. Steve let go of his hand as he put his arms around Lauren, Emily wrapped her arms around him as the small kitten jumped from her shoulders and onto the ground. Everyone started to stir, Nico quickly let go of Percy's hand when he realized he was holding it. Leo staggered backwards, clearly he didn't do shadow travel very well, Bucky used to be the same way till he got used to Emily doing it.

"You know … I think I'll sit down." Leo collapsed and the others joined him, the Argo II was still floating over the river a few hundred yards away. They should signal Gleeson and tell him that they were alive, but they were too tired to do anything expect sit and relax. Bucky was glad to have Emily back, he kept his arms around her and she has her arms around his neck, her head was on his shoulders once more while the kitten was in her lap. Soon they began to exchange stories. Frank was explaining of what happened with the ghostly legion and the army of monsters and how Nico used the sceptre of Diocletian, as well as saying of how bravely Jason and Piper fought.

"Frank is being modest. He controlled the entire legion. You should've seen him. Oh, by the way …" Jason glanced over at Percy. "I resigned my office, gave Frank a field promotion to praetor. Unless you want to contest that ruling." Percy grinned,

"No argument here."

"Praetor?" Hazel was staring at Frank. Frank shrugged uncomfortably.

"Well … yeah. I know it seems weird." Hazel tried to throw her arms around him but it seems that she remembered something so she kissed Frank instead.

"It seems perfect." Leo clapped Frank on the shoulder.

"Way to go, Zhang. Now you can order that one guy to fall on his sword.'

"Tempting." Frank turned apprehensively to Percy. "But you guys … Tartarus has to be the real story. What happened down there? How did you …?" Emily nuzzled her face against Bucky's neck when Frank said that. Percy laced his fingers through Annabeth's fingers. Bucky noticed the slight pain as Nico looked at Percy's and Annabeth's hands,

"We'll tell you the story. But not yet, okay? I'm not ready to remember that place."

"No. Right now …" Annabeth gazed towards the river and faltered. "Uh, I think our ride is coming." Bucky turned and saw that the Argo II veered to Portman it's aerial oars in motion and it's sails were catching the wind. Festus's head was glinting in the sunlight, even from a distance that Bucky could hear the creaking and clanking that Festus makes. Leo yelled.

"That's my boy!" As the ship got closer that he saw Gleeson standing at the prow and he yelled down at them with his eyes gleaming or he might have been happy to see them.

"About time! What took you so long, cupcakes? You kept your visitor waiting!" Bucky heard Hazel murmured.

"Visitor?" At the rail next to Gleeson, a dark haired girl appeared wearing a purple cloak, her face was covered with shoot and bloody scratches. It was Reyna, the other Praetor."

Emily's pov

Emily stood nearby as the Athena Parthenos was lowered onto the hillside, Emily was unsure of how she felt at the moment but she need comfort when she managed to open her eyes. She was glad that Bucky was right next to her as well as Arabella being there as well, she hardly let go of Bucky since she started to stir and open her eyes to see him next to her. The few times she did was when she hugged Arabella or when Arabella wanted to make sure that she was really there. At the moment she was holding hands with Bucky on the hillside as they stared at the statue. The forty foot tall goddess was gazing serenely over the river Acheron, her gold dress was like molten metal in the sun.

"Incredible." Reyna was still red eyed from crying, soon after Reyna landed on the Argo II that her Pegasus Scipio collapsed. For he was overwhelmed by poisoned claw marks from the gryphon attack from the night before. Reyna had to out the horse out of his misery with her golden knife, turning the Pegasus into dust that scattered the sweet smelling Greek air. Emily felt awful for Reyna she she learned of the Pegasus, Emily knew that demigods lived tragic lives, for Emily lived about seventy years worth of it with an added another seventy years worth from Tartarus. Plus it seems Reyna gave up too much in her life already, in many ways Emily was glad when Reyna become the praetor. For Reyna was a good leader and does what was best for her people, of which show. "It looks newly made."

"Yeah. We brushed off the cobwebs, used a little Windex. It wasn't hard." The Argo II was havering just overheard with the Helicarrier nearby, it was decided that Dr. Erskine would go onto the Helicarrier instead of the Argo II. Festus was keeping watch for threats on the radar, the entire crew decided to eat lunch on the hillside as well as half of the agents on he Helicarrier. Emily has to say it was amusing when the agents came over and saw Phil and saw the look of surprise on their faces. For they only saw Phil in suits, he wasn't wearing one, of where he was wearing a blue shirt, jacket, blue jeans and tennis shoes. The agents made their own circle for lunch, but Phil remained with the crew of the Argo II once he got some updates from his deputy director. Annabeth called over to Reyna.

"Hey, Reyna. Have some food. Join us." Emily wasn't sure about the rest of the demigods there but she only seen Reyna not in her armor once before. The only reason she wasn't wearing it now was because Buford was fixing the armor form the fights Reyna had during the trip. She was wearing a pear of jeans and a purple camp Jupiter t-shirt, so that she almost looked like a normal teenage. Expect for the knife at her belt and that guarded expression like she was ready for an attack form anywhere. Emily has to admit that she admired Reyna for coming all the way out here with no one but her Pegasus.

"All right." They Scottie over to make room for Reyna in the circle, she sat cross legged next to Annabeth before she picked up a cheese sandwich and nibbled at the edge. "So, Frank Zhang … praetor." Frank shifted wiping crumbs from his chin.

"Well, yeah. Field promotion."

"To lead a different legion. A legion of ghosts." Hazel put her arm protectively through Frank's , after a hour in sick bay that Hazel and Frank look much better. It was during that time that Phil and Emily were caught up of what S.H.I.E.L.D. has been doing or most of it at any rate. Emily could tell that they not sure of what to think about their old boss from camp Jupiter having lunch with them

"Reyna, you should've seen him."

"He was amazing."

"Frank is a leader. He makes a great praetor." Emily saw that stare before and she knew that she was trying to figure out if she should believe it or not.

"I believe you, I approve." Frank blinked

"You do?" Reyna smiled dryly.

"A son of Mars, the hero who helped to bring back the eagle of the legion … I can work with a demigod like that. I'm just wondering how to convince the Twelfth Fulminata." Frank scowled.

"Yeah. I've been wondering the same thing." Emily did notice the change Frank went through while she was in the underworld, it was hard to believe. He was at least three inches taller, less pudgy and more bulky, his face was sturdier and his jawline was more rugged.

"The legion will listen to you, Reyna. You made it here alone, across the ancient lands." Reyna chewed her sandwich as if it were cardboard.

"In doing so, I broke the laws of the legion."

"Caesar broke the law when he crossed the Rubicon. Great leaders have to think outside the box sometimes." Reyna shook her head.

"I'm not Caesar. After finding Jason's note in Diocletian's Palace, tracking you down was easy. I only did what I thought was necessary." Percy was smiling.

"Reyna, you're too modest. Flying halfway across the world by yourself to answer Annabeth's plea, because you knew it was our best chance for peace? That's pretty freaking heroic." Reyna shrugged.

"Says the demigod who fell into Tartarus and found his way back."

"He had help."

"Oh, obviously. Without you, I doubt Percy could find his way out of a paper bag."

"True."

"Hey!" Emily looked over at Phil when Reyna made the comment about the paper bag, both of them were close of laughing, it wasn't till when Percy said hey that everyone started laughing. It felt good to be back in the mortal world, to laugh and smile again and not to breath in poisonous air. But than the thought of Bib and Damasen entered her mind and her smile faded. It seem like that she wasn't the only one who thought of their two friends who sacrificed their lives so they could get out, for Percy's own smile melted as well. Leo than pulled a tiny screwdriver from his tool belt before he stabbed a chocolate covered strawberry and passed it to Gleeson. Than he pulled out another screwdriver and speared a second strawberry for himself.

"So, the twenty-million-peso question. We got this slightly used forty-foot-tall statue of Athena. What do we do with it?" Emily looked over at the statue wondering the same thing,

"As fine as it looks on this hill, I didn't come all this way to admire it. According to Annabeth, it must be returned to Camp Half-Blood by a Roman leader. Do I understand correctly?" Annabeth nodded.

"I had a dream down in … you know, Tartarus. I was on Half-Blood Hill, and Athena's voice said, I must stand here. The Roman must bring me."

"It makes sense." Emily looked over at Nico when he said that, sure it was a wonder of what to do now, but she knew that the statue must go back to Camp Halfblood.

"The statue is a powerful symbol, a Roman returning it to the Greeks … that could heal the historic rift, maybe even heal the gods of their split personalities." Gleeson swallowed his strawberry along with half of the screwdriver.

"Now, hold on. I like peace as much as the next satyr –"

"You hate peace."

"The point is, Valdez, we're only – what, a few days from Athens? We've got an army of giants waiting for us there. We went to all the trouble of saving this statue –"

"I went to most of the trouble."

"– because that prophecy called it the giants' bane. So why aren't we taking it to Athens with us? It's obviously our secret weapon.' " Gleeson was eyeing the Athena Parthenos. "It looks like a ballistic missile to me. Maybe if Valdez strapped some engines to it –" Piper cleared her throat.

"Uh, great idea, Coach, but a lot of us have had dreams and visions of Gaia rising at Camp Half-Blood …" Piper unsheathed her dagger and set it on her plate, the blade showed nothing but sky.

"Since we got back to the ship. I've been seeing some bad stuff in the knife. The Roman group is almost ready to attack but they are still trying to find the camp. They're gathering reinforcements: spirits, eagles, wolves. But they are waiting."

"Scott, I told him to not go looking for the camp." Emily reminded Scott, he was one of the first cohorts members that followed John to try to kill the members of the Argo II. Among the members that were outcast now, but with her curse in place and the promise that she made sure Reyna gave them would make sure that they won't find it till Reyna gets back.

"When we take over command, our first order of business should be to load Scott into the nearest catapult and fire him as far away as possible."

"Agreed. But for now –"

"He's intent on war. He'll have it, unless we stop him." Piper turned the blade of her knife.

"Unfortunately, that's not the worst of it. I saw images of a possible future – the camp in flames, Roman and Greek demigods lying dead. And Gaea …" Piper's voice failed her. Emily remembered what Tartarus was like in a physical form, she couldn't began to think of what Gaea would be like.

"Piper." Piper looked over at Emily. "For the time being, the Romans won't attack for thyme haven't found the camp. As long as they made that promise that they won't attack, that won't happen." Emily pulled out the camp breads from under her shirt had muttered in ancient Greek before putting it back under her shirt. "Besides, with the fact I am the protecter of New Rome that I could use that to protect Camp Halfblood from attacks Romans if I must. Unless if they have peaceful intention than they won't get into camp. So Reyna would be able to get in, since she wants peace between the two camps." Reyna smiled and nodded in thanks. "However when you do enter camp, Reyna that the Romans would find it, for it would be hard for them not to notice the statue. Even when they find the camp that they still won't enter not until they have peaceful intention and they hear you out."

"So Reyna takes the statue. And we continue on to Athens." Leo shrugged.

"Cool with me. But, uh, a few pesky logistical problems. We got what – two weeks until that Roman feast day when Gaia is supposed to rise?"

"The Feast of Spes. That's on the first of August. Today is –"

"July eighteenth. So, yeah, from tomorrow, exactly fourteen days." Hazel winced

"It took us eighteen days to get from Rome to here – a trip that should've only taken two or three days, max."

"So, given our usual luck. Maybe we have enough time to get the Argo II to Athens, find the giants and stop them from waking Gaia. Maybe. But how is Reyna supposed to get this massive statue back to Camp Half-Blood before the Greeks and Romans put each other through the blender? She doesn't even have her pegasus any more. Uh, sorry –" Reyna took a deep breath before she spoke.

"Unfortunately, Leo is correct. I don't see how I can transport something so large. I was assuming – well, I was hoping you all would have an answer."

"The Labyrinth, I – I mean, if Pasiphaë really has reopened it, and I think she has …" Hazel looked at Percy apprehensively. "Well, you said the Labyrinth could take you anywhere. So maybe –" Before Hazel could finish that there was a slight crash as the plate from Colonel Phillips fell from his hand.

"She's still alive?" Everyone, that didn't know who he really was, looked at Colonel Phillips oddly.

"She was, I think. I made her fell through a trapdoor that wasn't there using magic. I am not sure if that killed her or not." Arabella spoke up.

"Hopefully it had Devil's snare in there." Emily pointed her peanut butter at her.

"You said you wouldn't that up again. Our father is still not thrilled about that night, but worse things happen since than though, so he got over it. But at is besides the point." Arabella shrugged, Colonel Phillips looked at Emily.

"What's Devil snare?"

"A plant, it will start winding up around you till you can't breath."

"You know I would like that to happen to her." Than Colonel Phillips looked at Hazel and went on. "But using the labyrinth would not be a good idea to take my mother's statue to Camp halfblood." Reyna nearly dropped her sandwich.

"You are a son of Athena?" Colonel Phillips looked over at Reyna when she said that.

"I am." Emily smiled before she spoke.

"Not only that but he is also Daedalus." Everyone looked over at Colonel Phillips but he was looking at her.

"Thanks, Underworld Girl." Emily raised her eyebrow when he said that.

"That's odd, I thought I was the Flower Nut?" The crew laughed btu this Percy spoke after the laughter.

"Anyway, nor to shoot you down, Hazel. It's just …" Percy paused, Emily wasn't sure what to say about the labyrinth either, she looked over at Colonel Philips of who signed and spoke.

"Hazel, for one thing I doubt that the passages in the labyrinth would be big enough to hold the Athena Parthenos. It was original meant to hold the Mintaour. So there is no chance of taking it down I doubt it would fit through an entrance no matter of how big it is. The maze is reopen into I can feel it for it's tied to my life force, I was worried that the labyrinth might be restored once I am here. Since Pasiphaë is that opened it, that it the labyrinth's life force was retied to me so I can control it to a degree. But I lost control of it over due time or most of it at any rate." Annabeth shook her head as Colonel Phillips finished and spoke.

"Hazel, maybe your underground senses could guide Reyna through, but no one else would stand a chance. And we need you here. Besides, if you got lost down there –"

"You're right. Never mind." Everyone looked at Colonel Phillips, and he spoke.

"I am suppose to be dead. Besides, it is still being remade, if this was a couple of years ago, sure no problem. But I am pretty much useless at the moment with the labyrinth being remade as we speak. Besides I have a feeling that I might be needed at Athens." Reyna cast her eyes around the group.

"Other ideas?"

"I could go. If I'm a praetor, I should go. Maybe we could rig some sort of sled, or –"

"No, Frank Zhang. I hope we will work side by side in the future, but for now your place is with the crew of this ship. You are one of the seven of the prophecy." Reyna gave Frank a weary smile.

"I'm not." Everyone stopped eating and looked over at Nico, Emily noticed that Nico was acting a bit different. She wasn't sure what it was but there was something different about him, it was almost like he faced something he didn't want to face in he first place. Hazel set her form down.

"Nico –"

"I'll go with Reyna, I can transport the statue with shadow-travel." Percy raised his hand, Emily rolled her eyes when he did that.

"Uh … I mean, I know you just got all eight of us to the surface, and that was awesome. But a year ago you said transporting just yourself was dangerous and unpredictable. A couple of times you ended up in China. Transporting a forty-foot statue and two people halfway across the world –"

"I've changed since I came back from Tartarus." Nico's eyes was glittered with anger, but there was something else there, something that Emily didn't to see there ever, fear. Not just the fear when a demigod sees a monsters but more of the kind of where one doesn't want to admit to someone. Emily could almost taste the awkwardness coming form Nico, Emily wondered if she was wondering if she was thinking might be possible. But it seems like she was the only that noticed that, mainly because she knows Nico rather well though not as well as Arabella. But Emily decided to dismiss that, if Nico wants to tell her anything that he could, she wasn't going to make him tell her anything. But Emily was worried about Nico making such a journey for shadow travel was dangerous. Yes, Emily uses it often and can do it much better this Nico or Arabella, but she managed to go somewhere of where she didn't mean to go, though more when she was learning to use it. Than Jason intervened.

"Nico, we're not questioning your power. We just want to make sure you don't kill yourself trying."

"I can do it, I'll make short jumps – a few hundred miles each time. It's true, after each jump I won't be in any shape to fend off monsters. I'll need Reyna to defend me and the statue." Reyna had a static face, similar to Phil's static face, but unlike with Phil, she couldn't ready it. She was studied the group, scanning their faces, refusing to let her thoughts betray her.

"Any objections?" No one spoke. "Very well, I see no better option. But there will be many monster attacks. I would feel better taking a third person. That's the optimal number for a quest." Frank than blurted out.

"Coach Hedge." Emily stared at Frank, she wondered if she heard him and it seem Percy wanted to make sure on that as well.

"Uh, what, Frank?"

"The coach is the best choice. The only choice. He's a good fighter. He's a certified protector. He'll get the job done."

"A faun." Emily rolled her eyes when Reyna said that, she knew what was going to happen and sure enough Gleeson barked.

"Satyr! And, yeah, I'll go. Besides, when you get to Camp Half-Blood, you'll need somebody with connections and diplomatic skills to keep the Greeks from attacking you. Just let me go make a call – er, I mean, get my baseball bat." The look that Gleeson shot at Frank make Emily wonder, as Gleeson jogged towards the ship's ladder that Emily reached out with her Hestia powers. Even with how wacky they been and getting more wacky as the child inside of her was growing and it has been about a month since Emily learned she was with a child. As soon as she touched Gleeson that she was close of letting the plate fell from her hand, she understood of why Frank decided Gleeson should go and it wasn't because of the reasons Frank gave. But it was because Gleeson got married and his wife was having a baby, she could sense a faint connection of an unborn child to Gleeson and she knows that satyrs marry nymphs. Nico rose from where he was sitting.

"I should go, too, and rest before the first passage. We'll meet at the statue at sunset." When Nico was gone that Hazel,frowned before she spoke.

"He's acting strangely. I'm not sure he's thinking this through."

"He'll be okay." Hazel passed her hand over the ground and diamonds broke the surface, a glittering Milky Way of stones.

"I hope you're right. We're at another crossroads. The Athena Parthenos goes west. The Argo II goes east. I hope we chose correctly." Emily hoped that they would succeed in what they were doing,

"One thing bothers me. If the Feast of Spes is in two weeks, and Gaea needs the blood of two demigods to wake – what did Clytius call it? The blood of Olympus? – then aren't we doing exactly what Gaea wants, heading to Athens? If we don't go, and she can't sacrifice any of us, doesn't that mean she can't wake up fully?" Annabeth took Percy's hand as Bucky took her hand, Emily looked down at their hands and smiled. Sure she was glad she had Steve down in Tartarus but she was glad that she has Bucky back at her side again.

"Percy, prophecies cut both ways. If we don't go, we may lose our best and only chance to stop her. Athens is where our battle lies. We can't avoid it. Besides, trying to thwart prophecies never works. Gaia could capture us somewhere else or spill the blood of some other demigods."

"Yeah, you're right, I don't like it, but you're right." The mood of the group as gloomy as the air in Tartarus, than Piper broke he tension by sheathing her dagger and patted the cornucopia.

"Well! Good picnic. Who wants dessert?" After lunch that Emily went to find Nico, of which didn't those her all that long since he was in the sickbay, he was sitting in a dark corner. Emily walked over to Nico and sat down next to him, neither one said anything for a few minutes. Than Nico spoke up.

"Are you going to tell me that I can't do this?"

"Do what?" Nico looked up,at her.

"Take Reyna, Gleeson and the Athena Parthenos to Camp Halfblood."

"No." Nico looked surprised so Emily went on. "I can't think to another way, well I can. Of which is me going instead of you. But I know I am needed with the crew of the Argo II to help face the giants in Athens. But I want you to make sure you are careful with what you are going to do, I had lost a lot myself in the time I been alive and the important things came back to me. The pattern of lost is starting again, I lost a good friend already, I don't what to lose a brother." Emily coils tell as she spoke that Nico guessed that Bob was still down in Tartarus but his fate was still unknown to Emily. It seems that Nico was unsure about that as well, Emily wished she knows what Bob's fate was after she left. But she was unsure if she could sense Bob's death or if he fades or gets shallowed up by Tartarus. Emily hugged him and kissed the top of his head though she knows at Nico doesn't like being touched but he wasn't as bothered with Emily doing that than pretty much everyone else. "So keep safe." Emily got up as well as Nico.

"I will." With that Nico left the sickbay. Emily left the sickbay and went to her cabin, when she entered that she stopped for a minute, the cabin hadn't been cleaned in a while from the state of it. It was clear that Bucky hadn't be happy about Emily benign Tartarus since the walls were dented and from the looks of the dents that it was made from a metal arm. Emily entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed, she bent over and put her hands on the back of her neck before she closed her eyes and thought back. She wasn't going to deny at her life was good in many ways but it was worse in many more ways. True she wanted to be able to see Steve and Bucky again but than she learned that they were alive and not finding them was awful. It pained her and she lived with that everyday till she found them, it was the same with Lauren. Though it wasn't with Daedalus, at was only because she knows he was in the labyrinth and she knew that she would have a hard time finding him until she really had to just before the battle of the labyrinth.

She lived for almost seventy years of with the pain of not finding them or learning of what happened to them. Some of her pain had eased when she become close with Phil and Arabella, as well as her other half siblings on her adopted father's side. Each of them have a place in her heart and helped heal some of her wounds before they were healed fully. But now it seem like a new hole was ripped from her heart when she left Tartarus and left Bob down there. Emily wasn't sure of how long she was in there thinking or was in that position, but she hardly paid much attention when someone entered the cabin and sat next to her till she felt a pair of arms around her. Emily knew who it was at once, well if it was in World War II there was two likely people of who it could be that put their arms around her. But considering that she could feel metal father touched her one arm that she knew it could only be Bucky. Emily lifted her head and looked at Bucky, he was looking at her concern.

"Are you all right?"

"I will be fine, hopefully. There is too much on my mind for Tartarus." Bucky merely nodded, Emily got up,as well as Bucky and they went up onto the deck. They left the ship and went to the hillside of where Nico barely took the slack of the ropes around the Athena Parthenous. Annabeth just reached Percy and she took his hand as Emily and but went towards them.

"Good luck." Nico didn't meet Annabeth's eyes.

"Yeah. You, too." A minute later, Reyna and Gleeson arrived in full armor with packs over their shoulders. Reyna looked grim and ready for combat will Gleeson grinned like he was expecting a surprised party. Reyna hugged Annabeth as well as hugged Emily.

"We will succeed."

"I know you will." Gleeson shouldered his baseball bat.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm going to get to camp and see my baby! Uh, I mean I'm going to get this baby to camp!" Gleeson patted the leg of the Athena Parthenos. Emily had to cover her mouth to stop her self form laughing or telling Gleeson that it was all right and that he would get back there to see his baby.

"All right. Grab the ropes, please. Here we go." Reyna and Gleeson took hold of the ropes, the air darkened, the Athena Parthenos collapsed into it's own shadow and disappeared along with it's three escorts. Emily took Bucky's hand and put her head on his shoulder as they disappeared shortly afterwards after nightfall that the Argo II sailed after nightfall. They veered southwest until they reached the coast while the Helicarrier was following just behind them with the other avengers and Dr. Erskine on the Helicarrier. When they reached the Lonian sea that they splashed down into the water, so that they could follow the routes that the Greek heroes took in Ancient times. Emily, Steve, Colonel Phillips, Annabeth and Percy were standing at the railing of the ship. Percy closed his eyes, Emily could see his expression and knew what he was thinking.

"I know, I can't get that place out of my head, either."

"Damasen. And Bob …" Annabeth's voice was fragile as she spoke.

"I know. We have to make their sacrifice worth it. We have to beat Gaia." Emily stared into the night sky, she wondered where Nico and the others were and she wondered what may happen when they reach Camp Halfblood. But they will only have fourteens to reach Athens, one way or another that the war would be decided. She wished that she could simply say the same thing to Gaea as she did to the one titan in the Titan war about a year ago. But she couldn't, she wasn't sure if the avengers could rise Gaea on. Over in the brow that Leo was whistling happily as he was tinkering with Festus's mechanical brain and muttering something about a crystal and an astrolabe. In the middle of the ship that Piper and Hazel practice their sword play, gold and bronze blades were ringing in the night. Jason and Frank were standing at the helm, flaking,she was sure that they were telling stories of the legion or something like that. Phil and Aubrey were on the port side to the ship while Bucky, Arabella and Lauren were down below in their cabins.

"We've got a good crew. If I have to sail to my death –"

"You're not dying on me, Seaweed Brain. Remember? Never separated again. And after we get home …"

"What?" Annabeth kissed him.

"Ask me again, once we defeat Gaia." Emily smiled slightly.

"Whatever you say." As they soaked further from the coast that Emily looked at the constellations, among them was the hunter. This she heard Percy whisper to the stars above them.

"Bob says hello."


	29. Chapter 29

AN: I skip ahead in order to move on to the next book, the first chapter of the next children book would explain of what happened to Emily.

Emily's pov

The following couple of weeks that they were under attack half of the time by different monsters, thankfully they managed to defeat the monsters easier than it has been since starting their journey. During those two weeks that Reyna, Gleeson and Nico reached Camp Halfblood and managed to get the small group of Romans that wanted to kill the Greeks to back away when they brought the statue. For the time being Reyna was at Camp Halfblood talking to Chiron about making an alliance between the two groups or at least a treaty. Emily was glad of that, she was sure more detail will be brought about the quest Emily was on. Despite that piece of good news, that things were still not easy for the Argo II with the attacks from the monsters or Gaea. Not only at but Emily kept having nightmares about Tartarus, most of the time it was when Bon and Damasen sacrifice themselves so that Emily and the others could get out of Tartarus. Emily and the others still couldn't tell them of what happened in Tartarus, she knows Bucky felt awful about what happen and wanted her to forget about it.

For the last couple of weeks that Emily managed to look healthy as well as Steve, Colonel Phillips, Percy and Annabeth, from the news they got from the Helicarrier that Dr. Erskine was getting much better. After almost it two weeks that they reached Athens and the original Mount Olympus, it was July 31st. Emily stood at the railing looking at the original Mount Olympus, wondering what may happen now that they were here. It was only a couple of hours ago that they found the hunters there waiting to help them with the upcoming battle. Jason was glad to see Thalia again, so was Thalia and Thalia was glad that Lauren was there to look after Jason during the question. Soon they would be on Mount Olympus, Emily shivered slightly as the ship drew closer, just as she shivered that she felt a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Emily leaned back into Bucky, she knew it was Bucky for no one else would I out heir arms around her from the back and she could feel the cool melts from his one arm.

"Are you all right, Emily?" Emily wasn't sure, memories of Tartarus were still fresh and the words of Elpis kept ringing in her mind as they drew closer.

"I felt better." Emily turned around to look at Bucky of who looked slightly worried and concern, she knows he been worried about her and their child since she came back form Tartarus. She was glad that he didn't question her of Tartarus and what happened down there, but she was sure that he he wanted to know what happen down there. "It's just that this fight had war is something I never faced before, unlike in the Titan war of where I faced many of those monsters. With everything that has happen so far, I am not sure if everything would be the same again." Bucky kissed her forehead and she put her arms around his neck as he did that.

"We will manage to defeat Gaea and her giants." Emily smiled when Bucky said that. A couple of hours later that Emily and the crew of the Argo II left the Argo ii, when they stepped onto Mount Olympus that Percy and Jason looked towards them and it was Percy that spoke up.

"I am not sure what we will come across but it might be better if we all stay together." Before anyone could move that Emily noticed something at her feet, as she looked at it that she saw it was an orange flame and it started making a trail. Emily looked at the others do who were following Percy and Jason towards of where they were guessing the throne room was. Bucky seem to noticed she hadn't followed them and stopped, before looking back at her, when he spoke that the others stopped and looked back at them.

"Emily, is something wrong?" Emily looked down, it was clear that she was the only one who could see this trail in front of her. She looked up at Bucky.

"Yes. Look, there is something I need to do." Bucky walked over to her.

"I will come with you."

"Bucky, no." Bucky looked slightly hurt when she said that. "Bucky, normally I would let you come with me." Emily looked back down at the trail in front before going on. "But this is something I must do by myself." She looked back at Bucky. "I have to do this alone if there is any hope to win this war. If I don't do this and alone than we may fail this quest or have a bigger chance of failing at least." Bucky bit his lip.

"If you haven't come back by August second, I will go and find you." Emily nodded, Emily followed the orange trail in the opposite direction.

Bucky's pov

Bucky watched Emily go, he was still unsure of what happened in Tartarus, but form the nightmares Emily had, hat he he wasn't going to push her into telling him yet. For it was clear her memories were still too fresh in her mind it to am about it quite yet, even to him. When he first saw her signs that he kept feeling his heart breaks when he saw her because of how weak she seem. But in the last couple of weeks that she become more herself but she was more determined than ever to stop this war. But a few times Bucky noticed it seem that Emily was close of breaking down in he last two weeks, in a similar way of when she found him at her cabin about two and half years to almost three years ago. There was a couple of times of when she did breaks down like that, after Emily told him of what happen after he fell that Bucky knew she faced a lot as well as face a lot of pain and suffering because she had been unable to learn of what really happened to Lauren, Steve and Bucky till it was almost seventy years later.

Bucky was surprised that Emily didn't break during those seventy years and she was close of breaking when she got out of Tartarus. He knows that Phil, Steve and Lauren noticed it to, but not once did Emily give up even if it seem she was so close of doing it. Bucky knew that Emily managed to make partly because of her love for him for he managed to keep going it get to the door for the same reason. Even though Bucky felt he would a lot if Emily died, but he knew that she would lose a lot more if she didn't get through Tartarus and to the doors. Bucky didn't want to lose Emily again after Tartarus, but he could tell that whatever she has to do that she has to do it alone for he could tell it from her eyes. He has a feeling that one of the gods sent a quest to her to help with the fight of the giants. Once Emily left to go wherever that they rest of the crew and Bucky in the other direction. After a few minutes, that they entered of what Bucky figured was the old throne room of the gods, for it looked the same as the throne room on Olympus over the Empire State Building in New York.

Expect for one thing, in the middle of the room of where the hearth was suppose to be was a slab of marble like an altar. There was a woman that was laying on the altar thing, she looked like she was in her forties. She was wearing a forest green robe with small amounts of gold and white in it as there there was sunlight was shining on the robe like the sunlight shine through tree branches. Her black hair was the same color as tilled soil, her face was beautiful, Bucky had a feeling that the woman on the altar was Gaea. For she looked like she could the earth itself and Gaea been waking up slowly for almost a year now. Bucky and the others walked closer to the sleeping woman, Bucky was wondering of what to do now. For this seem too easy, for they didn't meet any giants so far but there was a chance that this could be a trap of some kind. Arabella was close by him as they walked closer to the sleeping form of Gaea before they could get halfway that a voice spoke up.

"At last you have come." Bucky and the others turned around. It was all the giants expect for Clytrius. The giant king stepped forward and looked at Jason. "So we meet again son of Jupiter, I have been waiting for this fight since I rose from the earth but alas that fight had to wits till now."

He held out a hand bad a spear jumped up into his hand and that was when the fighting started, Arabella found alongside Bucky as they fought the giant that was the anti Hestia. Phil and Steve took on the anti Demeter while the others took on the giant that was the anti of their parent. As they fought that Bucky noticed that the gods came and started fighting along with them, Hestia joined Arabella and Bucky in front the giant that was oppose her. Arabella managed to get the giant to his knee when Bucky stabbed it and Hestia sent fire to the giant making e giant turn into gold dust. Just when they managed to that, when one of the giants was about ready to stab Percy when Annabeth got in the way and the Speer went through her stomach. Thalia jumped in before she started attacking the said giant, after a coupe of strikes that the giant threw her to one side and she hit the walls with a crunch. However a couple of other monsters joined the fight, so Bucky and Arabella started the monsters that came. As Bucky fight that orange light seem to go I to the sky and surrounded Mount Olympus, he thought he felt something enter him as the orange light fell upon the gods and demigods that were fighting the giants and monsters.

But he couldn't place but he was more determined this ever to win this war, so he could have a more normal with Emily after this. Bucky hoped that the others would fine, soon enough only the giant king was left while all the other giants and monsters were destroyed or killed. Jason stabbed the giant king while Jason stabbed the giant that Zeus, or Jupiter, zapped the giant king and the giant king turned to gold dust. Suddenly there was a hurricane and lightning flashed across the sky, the hurricane picked up the woman's body and the body started to swirl as the lightning picked up. Than lightning hit the body and it burst into flames and dirt fell to the altar an the water washed the fallen dirt away and the altar crumbled into dirt. After a few minutes that the storm stopped that Bucky realized something hat Emily wasn't in the throne room, he thought she would have come here by this point. It seems the others noticed this too, not only that but they were checking the wounds the demigods gained as well as Annabeth and Thalia. Bucky wanted to find Emily but he wanted to know if Thalia and Annabeth were all right, after Apollo checked in Annabeth and Thalia that he stood up before he spoke.

"I can't help them, Thalia died almost at once when she hit the wall as for Annabeth, I can't change her fate. She made the promise to protect Percy and she kept that promise with her final breath like the prophecy stated." Bucky stepped towards his patron god before he spoke.

"What about Emily? Do you know where she is?" Apollo shook his head.

"I am not sure where she is when she went the other direction that I was unable to follow her." Apollo looked at Hades, Demeter and Hestia. "You three been watching her the closest, do you know where she is?" They spoke their heads and Hades spoke up.

"I am not sure where she is, I know what happen till a certain moment. After that I am not sure what happened. She went to the temple of Elpis, in there was the jar that Elpis was in. Emily managed to open it and allowed Elpis to leave. After that, things began toget fuzzy."

"Hades, what do you me a fuzzy?"

"Well, somehow Emily and Elpis bonded because of the curse Elpis was placed under by Nyx I think but a blessing was placed upon her. More or less only one person would be able to free her and that one was Emily, apparently."

"Are you saying Emily is Elpis or that she is a goddess of Hope or something like that?"

"Not exactly, she is still a demigod. I am not sure if I can explain about the bond in since it never happened before now. Elpis would be bonded to the one demigod till a certain event pass and when that event is passed that Elpis and the demigod would no longer be bonded. I am not sure what that event is that breaks the bond but I think it might have happen already. I was able to see that she was fighting someone but I couldn't make it out of who it was. The last thing I saw was that Emily was throw against the wall and the one she was fighting with went over to her ready to kill. Than I could feel Elpis leaving Emily, than Emily just disappeared." Arabella yelped before she spoke.

"So she is dead?" Bucky felt that his heart was breaking in two but Hades shook his head.

"She is not dead, I am sure of that much for her spirit is not in the underworld. Emily just vanished without a trace."

Bucky didn't bother to stay behind to hear what else they were talking about, instead he left the throne room and went running towards of where he last seen Emily. When he reached that spot that he followed of wher eye last saw her go, thankfully her footsteps were left behind clear as day. Finally he reached the temples and went to the temple that Hades said she was in, when he entered that he looked around. There was nothing in there expect for an altar, pictures of season, laughter and other things at nearly made Bucky smile. But he was looking for Emily and there was no trace of her, as he looked around that he noticed a necklace on the floor. He slaked over to the necklace and picked it up, he knew that ti didn't belong to Emily for it was in a silver string or something like that and there was a blue glowing crystals on to. As soon as Bucky picked it how and looked at it that it shone brightly before it rose in the sir and clasp itself wound his neck.

Bucky puled at the necklace and turned to took off around his neck but it refused to move from around his neck, it was like as if he was bounded to the crystal or something. Suddenly the room started to light up, a golden light, Bucky looked so runs as the light moved towards him and wrapped itself around him. As the light wrapped around Bucky that he blacked out. The last thing that entered his mind was that he hoped would not become the winter soldier again, unlike when he fell from the train in World War II and blacked out from the fall.


End file.
